Let see if I can connect the dots.
I had been staring at Mount Jumbo (here in Missoula) all winter. The mountain was huge and intimidating, and I knew we had to climb it. By we, I mean me and my Bull Terrier, Ellie. Ellie was up for anything, and I was confident we would have no issues making the hike. Everything was in plain sight, and there was no way to get lost. I assumed I knew how and, approximately where, we would circle back to the Jeep.
It was a beautiful Friday, and I was done with my classes around noon. I came home, tossed some snacks and water in my backpack, loaded Ellie up, and drove to the trailhead. The snow was gone, and the sun was shining in between the clouds. The weather was perfect.
We started on the normal trail but quickly veered off-road to go straight up the face. No trail, just an idea of where we were going and where we would end up. The uphill climb wasn’t easy, but the challenge was welcome. A nice breeze would periodically refresh us. The view of the valley was amazing, and it felt like we had the whole mountain to ourselves.
I thought the uphill portion of the hike would be the hardest part of our journey, and everything else would literally be downhill from there.
As we slowly made our way up the mountain, the breeze we were enjoying stilled, and the clouds gave way to full sun. By the time we made it to the top and found a trail, it was hot. Too hot for my dog. I remained confident that the path would loop around and we would be off the mountain and back on a familiar side trail that would lead us to the car.
To my dismay, we did not hit another trail--on either side. By the time I acknowledged my mistake, we were completely out of water and out of shade. Ellie was starting to slow down in the heat.
At this point, I thought our best option was to continue instead of retracing our steps, as we had been walking for at least a couple of hours. The trail opened and started to veer off into the Rattlesnake area; homes and sidewalks were nearby and a paved route back seemed like the easiest way.
As we started making our way down to civilization, it became increasingly clear that Ellie was struggling. She made a beeline for the first house we came to with a tree and immediately collapsed in the shade; the cool grass no doubt felt refreshing on her stomach. We continued this way for quite a while; Ellie would lie down in the shade/cool grass, until I could coax her to walk a little further.
Because of our pace, I knew we were hours away from getting back to the Jeep, and I had no one to call for help (did I even take my phone?). After a while, even with the exorbitantly slow pace, Ellie would not walk any further. She succumbed to the heat and simply could not get up.
Panic played on the edge of my mind. I had never dealt with heat exhaustion in a dog before, but I knew Ellie needed to cool off and get water ASAP. We finally made it to the road that would get us back, but we were still a long way off.
I did the only thing I could do: I picked up her little 40-pound body and carried her.
Carry, rest. Carry, rest.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
The distance between rests was becoming shorter and shorter as my strength was depleted, and the day was quickly turning to dusk.
After a particularly long rest, I picked Ellie up, steeling myself to go just a little bit further, when I heard a car slowing down beside us. A green Subaru Outback pulled up on the shoulder and a kind lady asked if we needed a ride. I almost cried with relief as we climbed into her car.
Insurance experiences can be a bit like my wayward Mount Jumbo hike. It seems pretty simple and straightforward, and it’s easy to assume we know how the journey is going to go. You pay for coverage and expect that all will be covered and made whole when you have a claim. But then, a particular type of loss may have been overlooked for coverage, and you are open to an exposure you didn’t know you had.
In those instances, Glidewell is here to be the Good Samaritan who picks you up on the side of the road and helps you get back to where you started.
However, we prefer to be a guide at the beginning of the journey, letting you know of the various trails and pitfalls (aka coverage gaps) along the way, helping you to avoid any unexpected insurance issues.
Reach out to us with any questions you might have—large or small. We’re here to help you have the best insurance journey possible. 🙂
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