The Dog Who Took Me Up a Mountain

How Emme the Australian Terrier Changed My Life When I Needed It Most

By: Rick Crandall, Joseph Cosgriff

Narrated by: Barry Abrams

The uplifting story of two unlikely mountaineers: a man in late middle age and a fearless pint-sized pup who, together, scale Colorado's highest peaks.

By the time life had finished hitting Rick Crandall from all sides, he was at the lowest point of his life, both personally and professionally. Depressed to find himself facing a mid-late-life age crisis and watching his finances crumble as the tech industry bubble burst, he hopes his future isn't headed downhill. It is at this critical juncture in their new marriage that his wife, Pamela, makes an astute and life-changing suggestion: "Let's get a dog."

So begins the story of Emme, a 200-pound Saint Bernard trapped in the body of a five-pound Australian terrier puppy. Soon, Emme and Rick hit the hiking trails around Aspen, Colorado. While she is groomed to be a show dog, it's soon obvious that her heart is in the hills and with Rick, who decides to add more challenging hikes to the mix. Before long, they are scaling Colorado's "fourteeners", peaks with altitudes of over 14,000 feet. On one magical day, Emme climbs to the top of four "fourteeners", a quarter of the 16 such peaks she will complete during her life without once being carried on a trail or on the rocks on the way to a summit.

©2019 Rick Crandall (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

LOVED THIS STORY!!

Husband and I would listen together when on small or long car trips. He always made sure I had this title ready to go before heading out!
We have a Flat Coated Retriever that we rescued from a kill shelter. He’s our hiking buddy and our favorite boy to be with at all times. Emmi and our dog, Cache, could be one and the same as far as character and specialness goes!! It’s fall of 2024 now, and our Cachie is 13 years old; we are just turning sixty. All of us have been slowing down and cutting our hikes and walks way back but none of us wants to give them up!
This (audio) book was well-done by the narrator and he brought us to chills and light tears at the end of the story.

I loved this story

Such a sweet story about a hikier and his dog. Really enjoyed the narration and the adventures they go on. Worth reading

until we meet again, find peace in heavens hands!!

Great story of an Aussie Terrier helping Rick Crandall find purpose and fulfillment as they move on to the next stage of their life. If you like dog stories, this is a classic right up there with Following Atticus. Hiking, intelligent dog with an amazing relationship with her human.

Beautiful Memoir

Sweet memoir written about a special dog. Originally purchased by the author's wife in hopes of being a show dog, CH Lucky Lady Emme ultimately became the author's hiking companion (and often, leader). This book is well written and I'm sure can be appreciated by anyone who has ever loved a dog. Thank you Rick Crandall for sharing Emme's story.

Regarding the narrator, I didn't realize this was the same narrator of a book I recently listened to, and that I don't like his style at all. He has the voice of someone reading to very young children. This book was written well enough that his narration could ultimately be overlooked. But I will definitely remember to check next time.

Heartwarming story for dog lovers

This book was sitting in my library, unread, for a couple of years. Once I started listening to it, I loved it and couldn't stop . very relatable!

Dull

Expected tales of mountain adventures but was presented with endless stories of dog shows, breeding and competitions.