Dog miraculously appears a mile away after being presumed deceased in an avalanche
The great outdoors are chock full of gorgeous sights to see and places to be, but nature can also be cruel and unpredictable. This story took place in Monarch Crest in Salida, Colorado.
It started when a pair of hikers were up on the mountain with their dog.
All they expected was an exciting hike up the mountain. It was meant to be a nice little adventure for both them and the dog.
That all changed in an instant when an avalanche greeted them.
At around 4:30 PM, the trio cleared a tree slope and moved into a wider, more spacious area of the mountain. That was the worst place to be on a mountain with uneven, unpredictable snow.
The avalanche took them by surprise. Though to be fair, even a prepared person can do little when faced with an avalanche and no where to run.
The two people, a man and a woman, were quickly buried, but not before the man let off an airbag from a backpack.
The woman braced herself and kept one hand above their backpack to stay in a safe position – at least, as safe as being buried under snow is concerned.
Turns out, that quick thinking paid off. The man managed to dig themselves out and free their companion.
They were still separated 50 yards from their companion, but they managed to reunite and head to safety. Off they went to the ridgeline and then the trailhead, with a bit of help on the way.
But what about their dog? Things weren’t looking too good in that regard.
That avalanche was quick, and finding a dog underneath it was nigh impossible now.
Chaffee County Search and Rescue (CCSAR ) didn’t go into details about the two survivors’ thoughts. However, one can imagine that they felt that same distress and shock from losing a pet. There was little they could have done.
The area where the avalanche took place was The Sawatch Range.
According to an avalanche danger scale, the Sawatch range scores a 3 out of 5. Hearing that, I suppose something like this was bound to happen.
CCSAR summed up all the details and lessons to be learned from the incident. “CCSAR South mourns the loss of the subject’s dog” they write, and follow it up with “The outcome could have been much worse”.
Oh, but hold on a moment! It seems like mourning isn’t necessary at all. Somehow, the dog made it out.
Indeed, after being buried under an avalanche, the dog reemerged and found its way to Monarch Crest Trailhead.
It was nothing short of a miracle, and much-needed good news after a shocking and disastrous day for the two hikers. That makes the second reunion since the avalanche happened. I’m sure it felt good.
The trio got incredibly, incredibly lucky. Not many dogs can survive being buried by avalanches.
At least now, all of them know to be careful when walking up mountains.
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