The road up the mountain has opened. It becomes impassable in the winter as the snow is not cleared and the gates are closed. As the snow slowly melts in the spring the gates are opened, one by one. The final gate opened sometime in the last few days, perhaps today, perhaps not. However, it was today, my day off, that I decided to see how far I could drive up the mountain. I was excited to find the final gate open.

After hiking around for a short time I drove back down, determined to go for a trail run along the mountain ridge trail. I went home changed my clothes, grabbed my gear and headed back to the mountain.

I love trail running. There is a freedom in it that is hard to express, and of course the beauty of nature. The mountain is beautiful. The trail was still partially covered in snow, deep snow. It was well packed old snow but it didn't make running easy. It was a joy, nonetheless. As I ran I passed a few others enjoying the newly accessible trail. I passed a man and woman with a baby and small dog, and they asked if I had seen a small dog that looked like a husky. I told them I hadn't but I would keep watch for them. They thanked me and told me the dogs name "Tsukara".

I continued on. Clouds gently drifted by on the breeze, some sitting below me as I peered down from the alpine ridge to the shoreline far below. My mind wandered to the lost dog. Where could it have gone? As I ran along a cliff I glanced down to the bottom wondering... but continued on.

The snow was quickly wearing me out, not to mention just being out of shape. I continued, unsure how much longer I would go, until... I heard something. Was that a howl? Quiet and distant but... could it have been? My mind raced, I couldn't stop now. I ran on. Then I heard it again. I paused, hoping to hear better. I was sure. It was quiet but it was there. I couldn't tell quite from where, but I could hear it, a quiet whining howl. I caught my breath and continued to run. I tromped though the snow following the path up the mountain side and then....

I stopped. A small husky like dog stood in the path in front of me. The pup looked nervous but well. I knelt down in the snow and called it's name and it slowly came over to me, head lowered and tail tucked. I petted it a few times and checked the collar "Tsukara". This was indeed the couples missing dog. I patted the dog a few more times and it's tail began to wag. I stood and smiled at the pup. "Well come on pup, let's go find your masters." I patted the pup again turned and started to run back down the trail, and the pup followed, tail wagging.

The pup followed closely as I ran. We were both panting. The pup had to work to keep up with me running down hill, but once we came to a few patches of deep snow and uphills the pup had to slow down and wait for me, but we ran on. We passed another family, and I asked if they had seen the couple. They told me they thought they had, so I thanked them and we continued on.

We tramped together down the trail along the mountain ridge. The pup paused and sniffed about, and I climbed up on a rock to look around and listen... nothing. The pup came over to the rock looking up at me. I hopped off and patted the pup again. "No luck huh? Well, let's keep going." We started of down the trail again.

Soon we were back at the trail head. We both looked about a bit confused. No one was there. The pup looked about and I pondered how we could have missed them. I called the pup back over and checked the collar again, and found their phone number. A short time later the man came and they were reunited. The pup was happy, but seemed a bit reluctant to leave and wandered back over to me before they left.

It seems I made a friend.