Gunstock Mtn. 2250'/ Belknap Mtn. 2382'/ Piper Mtn. 2044'

Approx. 4.5 Miles 1400' Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy & Wicket

The world tells you, "You must move forward. No looking back!" I think that is bullshit. There are things in my life, and every life, worth looking back upon. Emma was certainly one of those "things".

We have been marking the day she left us by revisiting the mountains and trails she last graced with her passing. We hike these hills not to remember her death, but to celebrate her life.

As we hike up there is a new dog trotting along with us, a young dog. This one is different in so many ways, yet there is love and trust between us, and as it grows we realize these are the same bonds that tied us so strongly to Emma.

We are back in the woods with a loyal companion, and that is worth more than we can estimate. As she learns to become a great trail dog, the differences are fading, though Emma will always be Emma to us, and Wicket will be Wicket, she is starting to fill the huge hole in our lives that losing Emma left.

This year we decided for the first time to retrace the steps we took the day Emma passed away. We made the ascent to Piper first, stopping for pictures in the stone "thrones" where I have pictures of Emma with us.

We then continued on to Belknap stopping briefly at the summit and fire tower where Wicket got to romp with another dog for a few minutes, which of course made the whole trip all worthwhile in her mind. I was surprised to find a still half frozen vernal pool with wood frogs clacking.

Skies were gray and dreary all day which added to what you might call the gloom of a "Remembrance Hike", but we were not there to be sad, we were there to remember a life well lived.

Just north of and below the summit on The Saddle Trail is a lookout that looks east/norteast across Lake Winnipesaukee to the Ossippe Range and beyond to the White Mountains. On clear days you can see Mount Washington reigning above them all.

I love this view. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Hal and "The Belknap Range Trail Tenders-BRATT's" for building a cairn here and marking it with an "E". There is also an "L" for Lauky, (short for Moosilauke), another great trail-dog, and one or two others that I never met, but are memorialized at this cairn.

We sat and talked about memories of her while we had our lunch. I had fluffernutter as always, and always to be shared with dogs who think it is the greatest food in the world. Emma would stamp her feet demanding food from both of us, and always getting what she wanted. Wicket is more subtle with her big, pleading eyes and "I'm a good dog!" hopeful sit without being told.

While we sat there the sun came out, the only few minutes of sun we saw all day. I figure someone was smiling on the scene and letting us know. When I am there I don't think "this is where she is now." I think, "We are here together, and when I leave, you will trot along behind me, just out of sight."

As we hike along towards Gunstock I look ahead and I see Wicket leading as Emma always did, but I feel Emma trotting along behind me, and I know in my heart I will never leave her memory behind. It will always be with me.