When Scott and his wife decided to take a hike into the woods of Teneriffe Falls in Washington State, they geared up for a long 7- mile day in the snow. Scott, who helps substance abuse addicts explore the outdoors as therapy, has made the hike several times. Knowing the trails like the back of his hands, he and his wife started on the trail.
A couple hundred yards into the trail, Scott spotted something in the distance. A large and black animal appeared to be waiting for them patiently. That's when Scott told his wife to slowly walk backward without making too much noise. Scott thought his worst fear was coming true: they had just stumbled upon a wild bear...
Scott slowly walked towards it, hoping to get a better glimpse. As we got closer, he got realized that it wasn't a bear, but instead, it was a dog!
Scott and his wife knew that they were safe to continue on the trial. As they got closer to the dog, he just sat there- almost as if he was waiting for them. They passed him and surprisingly enough, the dog followed right behind them!
After a couple hundred yards, the couple realized that the dog had not left their side! There would be moments where the dog would run a couple hundred feet ahead of them, and then wait patiently. Scott was shocked to see just how well the dog seemed to know trail!
Scott had made the trek several times and had never once seen a dog that's when Scott realized that the dog was wearing a collar. Carefully, he leaned in to read the collar. What he read stunned him!
The dog's called read: Hi, I'm Smokey, I live nearby so please don't take me. I like to follow hikers sometimes." On the other side, it reassured them further. "Don't worry, I'll go home when I get tired. My people love me a lot. Thanks for being nice!"
Scott stared at his wife in complete disbelief! This dog was an avid hiker after all! Scott and his wife couldn't believe that Smokey chose them to hike with! They said they felt honored to be the chosen hikers!
Now, Scott and his wife love hiking Teneriffe Falls just because they love hiking with Smokey! Smokey seems to like them too because more often than not, he'll tag along with them while they hike! How cool is that?!
