Laila got a call this afternoon
from a Minnesota couple at the Elk Creek Campground near the intersection of Forest
Road 250 and Colorado Highway 17 saying they had found Sam. At first Laila was
sceptical, especially with the recent "sightings", and was unsure why
they were calling him "Samson" and not Sam. When she called me I immediately
knew he had been found, because Samson is his full name on his collar.
After the now familiar 4 hour drive we pulled up to the Elk Creek Trailhead where
the Minnesota couple had by now secured him. I first saw Sam from a distance of
300 yards. He had already spotted my truck and was slowly wagging his tail. I
drove right up to him jumped out of the truck and he was all over me. Very skinny
after 35 days on his own--a veritable bag of bones. Ted from Minnesota had cut
off his harness because it had deeply gouged into his flesh on his left front
leg. He had lost the leash and the pack, but it appeared he had had a hard time
in the wild. I fed him some well-deserved beef jerky before the four hour drive
back to Colorado Springs. He is now happily snoozing in the back bedroom.
Thanks for your support!
We are all eagerly awaiting his trip report! (He has not yet uttered a sound though.
Not even a low level howl)
Steve Bremner