Guest post by Trish Chaput

We went for a beautiful hike in the White Mountains this afternoon, gawking at the foliage like tourists, with Roli leading the way there and back, as he always does. This particular route was full of twists and turns as we climbed, hand over foot at times, to the top of White Horse Ledge and down past Cathedral Ledge.

Our desired route was clearly marked by a yellow stripe of paint on various tree trunks. I was holding the leash and following behind Roli, who is always much faster than I am. As he charged ahead, on more than one occasion, I hesitated and made him stop so I could get my bearings and check for the trail markers. Every single time, even when the trail seemed unclear to me, or where it took an unexpected turn, he had always gone in the right direction.

I wondered aloud to Jim…”how does Roli always know the right way to go?” Is it by smell? Can he tell the trail has been well worn by others? Is it familiar because he and Jim have taken this route many times before? Admittedly, I’ve not hiked this trail as much as he has, but even in the places where I knew it, I still felt the need to check myself and confirm I was heading in the right direction.

Do you trust your instincts when making decisions or look for tangible proof you are headed in the right direction?