Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #297215 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

From the Back Cover
Rescue Dogs - Crime and Rescue Canines in the Canadian Rockies "Sam [the rescue dog] was so eager that when the day came to get back on a snowmobile, he didn't hesitate. We drove off to another avalanche exercise while he sat on the seat in front of me, where I could keep an eye on him, barking his approval to one and all as we headed up the mountain." This book will be especially fascinating for all readers interested in: animals adventure western Canada Dale Portman's insightful storytelling is a heart-warming affirmation of the bond between man and dog. This collection of crime and rescue stories highlights the vital role dogs play in saving lives, upholding the law, and recovering bodies. Dale's adventures with Sam, a German Shepherd, and the escapades of Ginger and the other working dogs featured in this book make a fascinating read.

About the Author
Dale Portman is a retired park warden who spent 28 years with Parks Canada, often involved with mountain rescue and avalanche control work in Jasper, Banff, Yoho, and Glacier/Revelstoke National Parks. He was a dog handler for 12 of those years. He and his wife, Kathy, also a retired park warden, live in Calgary and head to the mountains as often as possible. His biggest love besides travelling abroad are extended trips to the more remote parts of the Canadian Rockies, either by skis, on foot, or on horseback leading a packhorse or two. Nothing excites him more than that unknown valley just over the next ridge.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Prologue Sam sits alertly at the helicopter window, his ears upright, fascinated by the country passing below. He loves to work and today is no exception. Whether the work is routine or extreme, it's of little consequence to him. He leaves that up to humans to worry about. The pilot, Frank, and I watch an avalanche descend the slender ribbon of ice called Slip Stream, like a pillowy blind being drawn on a window. The slope at the bottom of this 650-metre ice route is our destination, but the avalanche is determined to reach there first. As we watch the cloud of snow spread across the slope, the radio comes alive and we hear the voice of our rescue leader. "Don't worry, boys, we've got a lookout set up in case there's another avalanche. He'll give you some warning." Minutes later, we land to the left of the latest avalanche on a small patch of flat ground. I kick steps in the hard snow with my ski boots. Sam shows a canine's agility and scampers ahead. I have ski poles but would gladly trade them for an ice axe right now. Years earlier, a climber had been swept to his death off the ice above by a small avalanche. At the time, we found his foot sticking out of the snow. No such signpost marks the way today as we search for two missing climbers. We are at the base of the ice, near the start of the popular ice climb. This is where climbers rope up, strap on crampons, and pull out ice tools to start their ascent. I look below and see the gaping chasm of a huge crevasse like the mouth of a monstrous creature waiting for us. Over the decades, many avalanches have swept down this ice route and fed this patient beast. Nearby, Frank stands by the pit he has just finished digging. It's about 1.5 metres deep and just big enough for the three of us to fit in if necessary. He dug it with the zeal of a foot soldier anticipating an artillery barrage, for this is a war zone. We have 8 to 10 seconds to reach this foxhole if or when the next avalanche comes. If the ice breaks above, the lookout in the valley will sound the alarm over the radio and we will sprint. There can be no hesitation or distraction. Not reaching the pit could mean being swept into the waiting crevasse. There is no sign of the climbers this far up, so we slowly work our way down the slope, searching as we descend. But it's no use. After an hour and a half, we quit searching. The climbers are probably in the crevasse - and surely dead. Trying to recover the bodies at this point is too dangerous. We do not need to be added to the list of victims. Right now, we just want to get the hell out of here.