[pct-l] A loose Nut on Baden Powell

[cmkudija at earthlink.net (Christine Kudija)]

Oh, lonetrail, what a story.  And I used to feel kind of secure that the
nuts didn't make it more than a mile past the trailhead....ack.  How
frightening.  (And did you report the incident to the appropriate authority
folks? just wondering)  So glad you came out of it okay - and Zap sounds
like a real angel.

Now about the woman to clean up after the dog....well,...ahem....good
luck?????

Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, you can.  Boldness has a genius,
magic and power to it."
                                      Goethe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Lonetrail@aol.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 11:52 AM
Subject: [pct-l] A loose Nut on Baden Powell


> Hi
> I wanted to walk through the Curve fire of last fall that scorched about a
6
> mile swatch from Crystal Lake in a funnel shape to just before Islip, it
got
> Hawkins pretty good, Throop & to the saddle of Burnham. I ended up on top
of
> Baden Powell.
>
> Several weeks ago a bear was shot at Little Jimmy Campground by the
Rangers.
> Now they got a bear cub that's so lonesome he want to play with dogs. Its
a
> shame.
> They removed the critter trash containers now everything is carry out.
Water
> is good at Little Jimmy but Lily' Spring trail had several trees down and
I
> didn't go down.
>
> I got on top of Powell about six in the evening and prepared to set up my
> campsite close to the roots of a wind blown Pine tree that resembles a
large
> Bonsai tree.
> Just about dusk a mother and a young girl about 12 came up with just T
> shirts, shorts and a day packs. I though they would be cold. The wind was
blowing so
> hard it blew my closed cell sleeping pad about 100 feet before it got
caught
> on some shrubs. The chill factor was about forty degrees. I notice the
little
> girl setting on a rock by the Boy Scout Monument shivering and pouting as
the
> mother was walking around the top I thought checking out a camp site for
them.
> After about ten minute I guess the father showed up. They sat down and had
a
> snack, passed me and asked if I was staying all night.
>
> I made a wonderful Ragu spaghetti meal and gave my large German Shepherd
Zap
> a meal of summer sausage with dry food. I rescued Zap from German Shepherd
> Rescue about a year ago and he has several issues: he doesn't like
uniforms,
> especially the mailman; he also will growl when someone is disturbing his
sleep.
>
> I began to prepared my 16 oz MRI Bivy, sleeping bag and cotton liner. Its
> like a cocoon all zipped up. I kept the leash on Zap and secured the other
end
> around my arm. We both fell sound asleep at about 7:30.  At 10 clock I was
> awaken by a man in complete combat gear rushing toward my bivy. Zap jump
over me
> and stopped the nut in his tracks, Remember Zap doesn't like uniforms. He
(the
> nut) screamed at me saying "She said you were alone, she didn't say there
was a
> dog." I asked who is she was? The nut said the women he met at the trail
> head. I asked her if any one was camping up here. She said just an old man
by
> himself she didn't say you had a dog. I told the nut Zap is not only a dog
but an
> ex-cop. He answered you mean an attack dog. I said "You got it!" Then he
asked
> are you a cop. I said "Yes I'm retired." He said "shit" He sat down on a
log
> and asked me for my flash light. I said "You walked up here without a
flash
> light, are you nuts? " I said that I had a small light around my neck and
that I
> would shine it on him.
>
> He opened a GI MRE the type that heats it self. He opened it with a large
> combat knife. A big knife I thought to myself, is this for me. I got Zap
settled
> down lying beside me watching the nut and still growling. He asked if he
could
> give Zap some food. I said Zap just wants a piece of you. It was my way of
> telling him he is not welcome here. Now Zap has another issue when he
sleep is
> disturbed he growls. The nut thought he was growling at him, which was
another
> plus for me. Just then a light went on and off down the trail.  This
really
> scared me, thinking it was a signal. I said to the nut I just saw a light
go off
> and on. The nut said we can expect some company. I asked are they with
you,
> he did not answer. I then started to think real fast saying I have another
> light, its called a red dot light. He asked what's that. I said you
attached it to
> your piece and put the red dot between the eyes and pull the trigger. He
> muttered your said your an ex cop and got up and left. Zap kept his ears
twitching
> for about and hour. Finally after two frightful hours I fell asleep.
> By the way I asked him his name he said Roy Grimes; spelling may be wrong.
He
> was about 160 lb. 5'8" and around 40 ish. He had G. I. camouflage combat
pant
> and combat black boots, white T. Shirt and a camouflage combat hat. He
also
> had a front camouflage fanny pack with a possible side pocket for a hand
gun. I
> tried to get as much information about him so if I survived an attack I
could
> hang him. He said he was in the 187 Airborne and also special forces. He
also
> said he got his combat clothes at Fort Benning were he pinned wings on his
> son. He also said he had a daughter who played soccer. He complained about
pain
> in his back and took medication. He was rather takable for an uninvited
> intruder to my campsite when I'm sound asleep and screaming "Are you
alone." Scared
> the hell out of me. Thank God I rescued Zap. I feel he saved me from a
robbery
> or perhaps more. I gave Zap a pound of steak when I got home. He lying
right
> beside me as I write this email. It's hard to say what was in this nuts
mind.
> Zap in neither an ex cop nor am I. My last German Shepherd was an ex K-9
> called Maddox that I also rescued.  I believe Maddox sent Zap to me from
heaven.
> Well, so much for trail talk. I always said a man should have a dog and a
women.
> The dog is man best friend and a women to clean up after the dog.
>
> Lonetrail
>
>
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