It brings tears to my eyes to be writing this about my dog who seemed to be in tip top shape but in 12 hours he went from a whitewater swimming/surfing, 14teener hiking maniac to being in another "place" . Yes for those of you that know Mako and myself (R-1ing partners on the ARk Teal Green Puma Akita Shepard/"Riverdog" mix Teal Green VW Van) Mako is gone... he evidently died from an intestinal track blockage and after taking him to the vet yesterday morning, and another vet later in the day...(a long story but the first vet I took him to evidently did not diagnose him properly)
Mako was much more then a dog to me, he was my best friend... my river running partner, my road trip partner, my surfing, snowboarding, beach volleyball, mountainbiking, hiking, camping, bar hopping, partner in crime... My dad said it best 3-4 years ago "I'd bet Mako has had more adventures in his lifetime then most people ever get a chance to experience" and indeed he has. Two storys come to mind I'd like to share with the river community.
About 5 years ago on a trip on the Lower New, which happened to be my first time guiding Class IV-V water, Mako was with me of course, and another friend in my raft. My good friend Steve was trip leader on a commercial trip and he was watching our backs all day as we tagged along behind him. He eddied out below Jump Rock and Mako and myself climb the upstream side (out of Steve's View) and when Mako and I appeared on the top of the rock with the other boaters, Steve says "Hoover your not gonna do what I think your gonna do are you"? Of course that was all I needed I scooped Mako up and off we were...25' plunge Mako (PFD equipped of course) poppped back up swam over to Steve's boat shook off and smiled at all of us, like "whats next"?
That was the nature of my crazy dog he was always game for any adventure now matter how hard core or extreme it was he was always the first out the door first in my van and first to jump in the front of my raft... Seconds after getting back in our boats my other friend (guiding one of the commercial boats) says to his crew "if that isnt a river dog I don't know who is"...I couldnt help but smile in that moment, I realized how fortunate I was to be on the river, that sunny day with some of my best friends and my best friend all in one day...
Another Recent day down at the BV Playhole my friend Patrick and I were surfin the Puma with Mako in the bow of course....swimming about every other surf...and randomly we'd be back in the eddy line waiting our turn for more carnage, and in would jump Mako never willing to let an adventure pass him by...I have seen the dog high side believe it or not and he has ran several rapids without me in the boat as a result...I doubt I will ever find another dog as well rounded and as river ready as he was...but then again I'm not looking to replace him, he was "Mako"... a fun loving good nature life companion who was the best friend and the best dog anyone could ever have...I guess the only closure or comfort I have is knowing I gave him 12 solid years of fun filled cross country four season adventures, and he is somewhere right now swimming or surfing or playing in powder... | 
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