alma mater
Dogs aren’t allowed on the trail without a leash, both to prevent them from harassing other hikers and to keep the dogs themselves out of trouble. In places the sound of the river rises up the gravel slope, and thirsty dogs rush down for a drink and cannot reascend; should the owner go down to fetch the dog, he or she will be trapped as well. The hiker, unlike the dog, has brought a mobile phone for the ultimate wilderness experience: chatting with search and rescue.
An outdoorsman was lost in the woods sometime this last winter, and the forest service couldn’t find him. Once the weather cleared up, they started searching again and found some clothes and bits of bone—not the right man, though.
On clear nights, one can always see the stars.