Buddy's revenge

Our dog Sebastian died more than two years ago. Like our other pets and relatives, we had him cremated. He came back in a nice little coffee bag (that's really what it looked like) inside a nice little box along with a plaster paw print.

We moved a few months later and "Buddy" took up residence under an end table in our living room. I said I would take him on a hike and spread his ashes, as soon as I could. After vacations and what not, the summer was over and then school started etc. etc. etc. Well, one month became two and three and four, and almost a year after he died, his ashes were still sitting there, and I made excuses that I was too out of shape to make the hike I wanted to make, and we got another year old dog from the Humane Society (Tucker) and there was Buddy, still under the table.

Now, Tucker is a good dog. Very amiable and willing to please, although full of energy, and he was usually fine when we left him and Rosie alone for a while. He'd occasionally chew up a shoe or a toy or some such thing.

One day, after being gone for a couple of hours, I returned to find the box strewn across the living room floor, and yes, the bag, with tooth holes in it, spilled on the floor. Luckily Tucker must have realized he didn't really want to chew it up, as the mess wasn't too bad, and most of the ashes were still in the bag, so I scooped it all up and put it in another bag and put it all up where Tucker couldn't get at it. "I guess Tucker is trying to tell me something," I said, and vowed to go on a hike soon (still knowing I was terribly out of shape.) The bag made its way down stairs to a shelf, and there it remained for another year.

All spring I have been saying I was going to hike Nesmith Point and take care of Buddy once and for all. Last Sunday, I finally made the trek.

Nesmith Point is the highest point on the rim of the Columbia River Gorge. The hike to the point involves travelling 5 miles and gaining nearly 4,000 feet. I chose the spot for its difficulty, but also because it sticks in my mind when recalling significant hikes Sebastian and I took together. I hiked all over the Northwest with no one but him.

Sebastian and I hiked Nesmith Point about 10 years ago, almost on a whim. We left late in the day (around 5pm) and I carried only a small water bottle, my camera, a candy bar and some treats for Sebastian. We saw one person descending on our way up, and near the top we came up on a mother and father with their eight year old son. They were loaded down with full packs. It was close to 7pm and the father was carrying his son's pack in his arms. Many trees had blown down that winter and had not been cleared, so we had to hop over and under them as we climbed the ridge. The father looked at us in amazement as we passed them, saying "Where did you come from?" "Same place as you, I reckon." I felt terrible for them, as they were all clearly miserable, but there wasn't much we could do for them, so we kept moving. We reached the point, had our snack and I took some photos of Buddy, but they were too heavily back lit. We descended the same trail and crashed on the couch most of the next day.

So, this past Sunday, the 24th, I, along with Tucker (Oh, you know he had to go), and three caching friends (Snowmann, Lobotomy, and Kiwimonster) made the hike to Nesmith Point. None of them had ever been up the trail before. It was slow going, and it rained on us. There was a lot of over-growth on the middle part of the trail and I got soaked, even in my rain parka. I carried a lot more with me this time. I guess age has made me a bit more cautious, and I made Tucker carry his own water and food. He was unfazed by the extra weight. It was a slow hike and I found that I was in much better shape than I thought. 10 years ago, when I neared the summit, I could barely keep walking. This time, I had lots of energy left and my legs were not at all sore.

There was no view, as the clouds had descended on us, but I didn't care. We had a small lunch, found a cache there, and then, at the same view point where Sebastian and I had our snack ten years ago, I dumped his ashes over the cliff. Of course, Buddy had one final trick for me, for as I dumped his ashes down the cliff face, the wind kicked up and covered my pant legs and boots. Ha! I thought, "Well, that is just like you Buddy." And I let his ashes slowly fall off my boots on the hike to the bottom.

It was a fitting end for Buddy, and it was nice to hike with new friends and especially Tucker who had never worn a pack before. He did great and smiled all the while.