Tyson Bags a Home on Mt. Kinsman

A little rain but a lot of fun on Mt. Kinsman!

Two nights before my journey with Tyson as I was contemplating which mountain to hike, I told my husband that I was thinking about heading to the summit of Cannon even though I had already climbed there with my own dogs, and I also ski there frequently in the winter.

My dogs Neely and Bandit at the summit of Cannon July 2009

My husband replied, "You have already hiked Cannon.  Why not go over and do the Kinsmans instead?" 

I decided to take his advice, and my last check on the weather reports indicated that Kinsman would be favorable for a hike.  So, Tyson and I decided to head for the summit of Mt. Kinsman North, and if we had the time, we would also go over to the top of Mt. Kinsman South. 

When Tyson and I reached the trail head that morning, it was already drizzling in Franconia Notch.  I thought about driving further south and hiking Mt. Tecumseh instead.  There was not a drop of rain until I drove into Franconia Notch that morning, so I knew there was a good chance it was drier elsewhere in the White Mountains.  I worried about having low quality photos from the hike if it really started to rain, and I was concerned about the route becoming too slippery on the way back.

But I just had a feeling that Kinsman was where we should hike that day. 

Tyson looks toward the trails

As I looked into the backseat at Tyson, he seemed ready to start hiking, and something told me to simply, "Go for it."  I had new boots with a good tread, and if it rained too hard, we could turn back or at least modify our original plan to hike to the summits of both Kinsman North and South.  We could always settle for one 4,000 foot peak on this rainy day. 

Tyson, a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever who is bred for the water, definitely seemed to agree.  I leashed Tyson, grabbed my backpack, pulled my hood up, and off we went on our adventure to the summit of Mt. Kinsman North.

There were a number of other hikers who were also fooled by the latest forecasts and were surprised by the drizzly, cold and foggy conditions.  I spoke with many people on the way to the summit who were very impressed with Tyson.  I make a pitch about Foster Dog Summit to anyone who indicates interest in my hiking companion du jour, so nearly everyone on the trails that day heard about Tyson's search for a home.

Tyson and his new sibling Maddie

One person paid particular attention because by Monday morning after our hike, Canine Guardians for Life, Inc. had an application for Tyson from a hiker I spoke with on Mt. Kinsman.  Mark already had a young pit bull mixed breed rescue dog at home, and he was looking for a second companion.  He believed Tyson might be the perfect addition to his family. 

Tyson went home to Mark, his wife and their dog Maddie last weekend.

Tyson and I bagged only one peak on that rainy Saturday as we decided to head back after reaching the summit of Kinsman North to be certain we had enough time for a potential slip and slide on the descent. 

We are extremely happy with our one peak and one home! 

See you on the trails.