Mom and I just finished a great book called “Following Atticus”, by Tom Ryan. I was interested in the book because I have a good online Westie friend named Atticus who is a very brave dog. I figured this Atticus might be as well!
Atticus is a little miniature Schnauzer and the author Tom Ryan is his human Dad. I swear, Atticus can kick butt and take names. He is one brave little dog and he has complete trust in Tom to protect him from harm. Together, they have hiked all forty-eight of the New Hampshire high peaks “four thousand footers”. These mountains aren’t normal hikes like I go on with my Mom and Dad in our local state park. No, these are some serious and scary mountains. One wrong move and you can fall off the side of them. Not only did he do it in the summer time, but in the winter as well. And … on some of them, he didn’t just hike them in the winter once, but twice!
In the beginning of the book Tom Ryan is a cynical newspaper publisher who doesn’t really believe in the good of people. He saw the underbelly of all his town’s leaders and quickly learned he couldn’t trust anyone. So Tom decided to adopt a homeless Miniature Schnauzer named Maxwell. It turns out that Tom’s relationship with Maxwell set the groundwork for Tom to start to love and trust again. Later on, Maxwell passed away, and there was a huge hole in Tom’s heart that couldn’t be fixed until he adopted a puppy named Atticus M. (for Maxwell) Fitch.
One summer, Tom decided to hike some of his elderly father’s (they have a complex relationship) favorite mountains with Atticus. In the mountains Tom discovers a sense of calmness of being alone. While Tom enjoyed the trek, Atticus became, for lack of a better word, “one” with the mountains. He would race ahead of Tom, and once he got to the summit, he would sit and look out over the wilderness for hours if Tom let him. So every weekend the odd pair would hike a different mountain.
When one of Tom’s friends passed away from cancer, he decided he needed to do something in her honor. He decided to hike each of the “four thousand footers” in the winter (90 days) not just once, but TWICE. Now I’m a Kentucky dog. We get snow here, but nothing compared to the New England area! They have many foots of snow (the snow drifts are taller than Atticus) and dangerous wind chill. Plus, if you’re stuck up on a mountain when a snow storm rolls in, more than likely you won’t make it out alive. This wasn’t a project for the faint of heart. They completed 81 of the 96 mountain that winter. They attempted it again the next winter, but this time they raised funds for an animal medical center.
This book is more than just reading about each of their hikes and you really get to know Tom and Atticus. You feel like you are walking with them each step of the way as they go up (and back down) the mountains. Atticus had a serious health scare and even a dog attack that threatened his ability to ever be able to hike again. I won’t give away the whole book, but let’s just say Mom leaked some.
All in all, Atticus (and Tom) hiked one hundred and forty-seven peaks. This is a great book that isn’t just for animal lovers but also anyone who wants to discover what truly makes them happy.
So … all of this got me thinking. I’m only a few pounds smaller than Atticus. If he can do great things then so can I. I love to hike and spend time with my parents. I need an epic journey and to do something great too! So I looked into it and us dogs are not allowed at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Rocky Mountains, or even the Smokey Mountains. That is so not fair! I need your help my loyal fans. I want to do something epic … what should it be?
Disclosure –The book was provided to my rents and I free of charge. However, opinions expressed here are my own.
