journal

One of my most memorable backpack trips was climbing up over 13,200 ElkHead Pass with border collies Bud, Boogie, and Cody. We camped way above timberline behind an unnamed lake north of Mt Harvard in the Sawatch Range of Colorado. That was our basecamp, and from there went out to explore, including hiking across the valley of Pine Creek to another set of alpine lakes. In the evenings and early mornings we relaxed near camp, gazing down at the vast landscape below, and watching the light change on the mountain.

Those three were with me when I first started backpacking, which was over 30 years ago now. With them I got hooked on the freedom of wandering the mountains and setting up camp where we ended up in the evenings. Hiking off trail behind them was like taking a young kid to the zoo for the first time - your experience is heightened by seeing how much they enjoy it all. We had some amazing days together, which I will never forget.

I like to believe that my old companions could be nearby on the good mountain days now and in the future.

That is the mystery though isn’t it? I suspect there is so much more than we think we know.

Wide alpine landscape with a small lake on the left and mountains in the distance under a clear blue sky, with an inset showing two dogs standing on grassy terrain with mountains behind them

Aerial view of a mountainous landscape in the Sawatch Range of Colorado highlighting ElkHead Pass and a nearby campsite behind an unnamed lake north of Mt Harvard

rocky mountain landscape with a mountain pass and valley below, labeled with red text marking Elkhead Pass and a campsite beyond

Two black and white dogs standing on a rocky ledge overlooking a vast green alpine valley with patches of snow and rugged mountains in the distance under a clear sky

Two border collies standing on rocky terrain with a cloudy sky in the background

Silhouetted rocky mountain ridge under a blue sky with scattered thin white clouds

Two dark-colored dogs standing on rocky terrain with patches of snow on the mountainside in the background

black and white border collie lying on grass with rocks and vegetation in the background

Additional photos with Bud, Cody, and Boogie

Person sitting on a rock near a lake in a mountainous area with patches of snow, surrounded by flowering plants and two black and white dogs

Person wearing a hat bending down near three black dogs sitting in a colorful alpine meadow with rocks, wildflowers, snow patches, and a mountain in the background

Man holding a black and white dog on a leash standing on a rocky ledge overlooking a large waterfall surrounded by forested cliffs

Man wearing a cowboy hat and large backpack standing on a grassy field with three dogs wearing packs, rocky mountain peaks and pine trees in the background under a clear blue sky

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart"