Following Atticus : forty-eight high peaks, one little dog, and an extraordinary friendship

Relates how the author and his dog named Atticus M. Finch attempted to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire's four-thousand-foot peaks twice to pay tribute to a friend who died of cancer and raise money for charity.;Innocence lost, innocence found. A door opens ; "Carry him everywhere you go" ; Big changes ; A gift ; "People die up there in winter" ; For the kids ; The greatest quest ; The little giant ; Stars to light the way ; The M. is important ; "Our faith comes in moments -- " ; Atticus in disguise ; The spell of Agiocochook ; Five astounding days ; "Thank you, friend" -- Light over dark. A heartrending turn of events ; "I'm not leaving him alone" ; The friends of Atticus ; Soul work ; Bread crumbs ; Dinner with Frank Capra ; The promise -- Full circle. A new quest ; The witch ; Magic is where you find it ; Death on Franconia Ridge ; My last letter home ; Those eyes, those beautiful eyes ; Mount Washington ; Good-bye ; Heartache ; The great art of sauntering ; Paige ; Home. After a close friend died of cancer, middle-aged, overweight, acrophobic newspaperman Tom Ryan decided to pay tribute to her in a most unorthodox manner. Ryan and his friend, miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch, would attempt to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four-thousand-foot peaks twice in one winter while raising money for charity. It was an adventure of a lifetime, leading them across hundreds of miles and deep into an enchanting but dangerous winter wonderland. At the heart of the amazing journey was the extraordinary relationship they shared, one that blurred the line between man and dog. Following Atticus is an unforgettable true saga of adventure, friendship, and the unlikeliest of family, as one remarkable animal opens the eyes and heart of a tough-as-nails newspaperman to the world’s beauty and its possibilities. Following Atticus is the remarkable true story of a man and a dog embarking on the challenge of a lifetime. This is author Tom Ryan’s inspiring tale of how he and his miniature schnauzer companion, the “Little Buddha” Atticus M. Finch, attempted to scale all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four thousand foot White Mountains twice in the dead of winter. It is a story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human and animal spirit that’s as thrilling as Into Thin Air and featuring the most endearing and unforgettable canine protagonist since Marley and Me .