I broke the dog.

I didn’t mean to break her.  I mean, we often go hiking together, usually one of the technically-out-of-limits mountains that nobody else climbs so nobody knows that Lily is there.

This morning it was C, A and I climbing the Twins.  Lil was full of enthusiasm, climbing into the car the moment I opened the door (to get my Contigo) despite 20 minutes to go til we left!  On arrival at the mountain she was jumping around barking and running on ahead with all the energy in the world.

Except, the initial climb (Twin1) was slow due to repeated stops, and I got to feeling like I wasn’t really getting a workout.  

The first peak

On the descent towards Twin2, I decided to run on ahead.  I made it to the base quickly, and then doubled back up - fast.  By the top, my legs were burning, I felt sick and my heart rate made it up to 196.  Stopping until I could breathe, and giving Lily some water, I then descended again to meet C&A, who were just commencing the climb up Twin2.

The entire second climb was painful.  My lungs did not feel like they wanted to recover from my sprint, so I dragged myself groaning onto the rocks at the top and poured water on my head to cool down.  Lily found herself a very large stick to chew.

Enough energy to spare at this stage...

Soon it became time to heave my jelly legs up and climb back down Twin2 and back up Twin1.  It wasn’t quite as bad as I expected, as we paced ourselves.  At the top, we paused to chat to two unexpected hikers, and then started our final decent.

Except, it wasn’t.

Shortly after starting down, I asked what time it was - being too lazy to change the settings on my Garmin to check.  At this point, A realised that she didn’t have her phone... it must have fallen out at some point between Twin2 and Twin1.

C decided to wait for us at the top of Twin1, and I, for moral support as much as anything, went off searching with A.  We didn’t find it until right back at the top of Twin2.  At this stage, having climbed up Things five times, I was getting pretty puffed.  We took it nice and slow on the final ascent, but the slope was fully in the sun at this stage so it got quite hot.  Lily started looking peaked, so I picked her up.  Her little body was on fire so when we got to the top I doused her in the last of my water to cool down. (Yes she did have her own water bottle, as well.)

Patiently waiting for the hoomans to hurry up

The final climb to Twin1!

By about two thirds of the way back down to the car, Lily was trailing behind so I picked her up and put her in my backpack.  She then proceeded to not want to get out of the backpack when we got to the car!  

And since then... she has slept, and looked around foggily when people move.  I have had to move my study into the bedroom so she can lie on the bed by my feet, as she doesn’t like me going out of her sight.

Foolish little dog.

In hindsight, I should probably have made her stay with C while we went phone hunting...