Last Ride on the Klamath with my pooch

[Bwag]

Bought an insta 360 cam last fall and headed to the Klamath. Knowing the river could be dirty when we arrived was a possibility, it was no surprise to arrive and see chocolate milk.

Shasta, my griffon, has been my eyes, ears and nose for the past 8 years, at my side he has been. Drove past Mt. Shasta for years as I’d head north to fish the Rogue with my dad, used to think, if I ever got a dog, I’d name him after that Mountain, surely that dog would be a mountain in my life. He was.

I spent the past 20 years working a job I couldn’t care any less about, quite honestly at times, it wore me down and I'd question if it all was worth it, yet I’d come home every night at 9:30 PM , his face at the door, tail thumping the wall, and all would be right.

Rode the front seat of my truck for thousands of miles, the bow of my sled soaking up fall on the Klamath, swam the Mattole many winters, bank to bank, only to watch me cast the day away, froze our asses off at 0300 chasing first light and Ducks in the salt, hunted Chukar and Alpenglow on the east side at 7000 feet, his pads tore up on day 1 yet he didn’t care. Hunted the Chaparral where he put his nose and ears to the manzanita for a sniff or rustle of the leaves in search of Quail.

Trained him myself, his first fetch of a duck brought me to tears, it was just him and I, if grit ever stared me in the face, that day it did. The lengths to which a dog would go to please I hadn’t knew, forever etched in my mind that day will be.

This past April my family and I headed to Japan for two weeks, left Shasta in good hands. Got home on the 13th, woke up at 0300 on the 14th, couldn’t sleep, neither could Shasta, he wasn’t well. Three years ago he was diagnosed with protein losing entropy and inflammable bowel disease, spent a small fortune chasing the sickness until I took him to an internal medicine specialist. On the mend he had been, all seemed well and I thought I’d get to spend a few years in retirement chasing fish and bird with him. He passed the morning of the April 14th.

Not here to preach to anyone, a believer I am but by no means a perfect man. Thankful to the man above for giving my family and I one last night, if I ever needed a sign that was it. He held on until we got home. Grit….

I retired October 2024.

There will only be one Shasta in my life, a mountain in it he was.

Happy to have a video of his last ride on the Klamath. We managed to Chase Steelhead fall 2024 and winter 2025, hunt Ducks 2024/2025, and hunt Chukar late fall 2024, regrets, I have none, we went.

Hurts right down to this moment to reflect on the past 8 years with him yet I feel blessed to have had him in my life and I’m grateful for it all.

Chase Rice, “Bench Seat” will forever play in my head.

A new griffon on the way, mid September…

We wait…





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[Al Baltz]

Damn! What a painful experience. And what a great tribute to a true friend. The loss you feel is real. Your story rocked me.
We lost our dog, also named Shasta, years ago and I couldn't face getting another dog for several years. Now we have Brandy and she brings us a lot of joy. I hope the rough edges of the hole in your heart smooth over soon.

Al

[Bwag]

Al, thanks for the kind words, it means a lot. Cool that your pup was named Shasta as well. Glad you eventually got another, hard to imagine not having a dog around but completely understand it taking several years to before you got another, they bring a lot to our small world's in the short time they are with us.

[BumpBailey]

Bought an insta 360 cam last fall and headed to the Klamath. Knowing the river could be dirty when we arrived was a possibility, it was no surprise to arrive and see chocolate milk.

Shasta, my griffon, has been my eyes, ears and nose for the past 8 years, at my side he has been. Drove past Mt. Shasta for years as I’d head north to fish the Rogue with my dad, used to think, if I ever got a dog, I’d name him after that Mountain, surely that dog would be a mountain in my life. He was.

I spent the past 20 years working a job I couldn’t care any less about, quite honestly at times, it wore me down and I'd question if it all was worth it, yet I’d come home every night at 9:30 PM , his face at the door, tail thumping the wall, and all would be right.

Rode the front seat of my truck for thousands of miles, the bow of my sled soaking up fall on the Klamath, swam the Mattole many winters, bank to bank, only to watch me cast the day away, froze our asses off at 0300 chasing first light and Ducks in the salt, hunted Chukar and Alpenglow on the east side at 7000 feet, his pads tore up on day 1 yet he didn’t care. Hunted the Chaparral where he put his nose and ears to the manzanita for a sniff or rustle of the leaves in search of Quail.

Trained him myself, his first fetch of a duck brought me to tears, it was just him and I, if grit ever stared me in the face, that day it did. The lengths to which a dog would go to please I hadn’t knew, forever etched in my mind that day will be.

This past April my family and I headed to Japan for two weeks, left Shasta in good hands. Got home on the 13th, woke up at 0300 on the 14th, couldn’t sleep, neither could Shasta, he wasn’t well. Three years ago he was diagnosed with protein losing entropy and inflammable bowel disease, spent a small fortune chasing the sickness until I took him to an internal medicine specialist. On the mend he had been, all seemed well and I thought I’d get to spend a few years in retirement chasing fish and bird with him. He passed the morning of the April 14th.

Not here to preach to anyone, a believer I am but by no means a perfect man. Thankful to the man above for giving my family and I one last night, if I ever needed a sign that was it. He held on until we got home. Grit….

I retired October 2024.

There will only be one Shasta in my life, a mountain in it he was.

Happy to have a video of his last ride on the Klamath. We managed to Chase Steelhead fall 2024 and winter 2025, hunt Ducks 2024/2025, and hunt Chukar late fall 2024, regrets, I have none, we went.

Hurts right down to this moment to reflect on the past 8 years with him yet I feel blessed to have had him in my life and I’m grateful for it all.

Chase Rice, “Bench Seat” will forever play in my head.

A new griffon on the way, mid September…

We wait…





Attachment 20646

So sorry for your loss. There is a reason they are considered man's best friend. Loyalty and full of love they are. I love my dogs more than most people!

[Bwag]

Bump, I appreciate it. Couldn't agree more on dogs vs mankind, no comparison.