Hiker Captures Moment She Thought Could Be Her Last After She and Dog Fell Off Boulder

Courtney Leasure from Ohio and her trusty pup, Marley, were hiking near Lake Tahoe on Sunday when they got lost.

Leasure describes herself as an experienced hiker, and her Instagram is full of the adventures she and Marley have been on, but Leasure said the trails were unmarked and she followed footprints in the snow, which is how she ended up lost.

As the two wandered through Desolation Wilderness, the views were breathtaking, but at some point Leasure became concerned that they were well and truly lost and might not make it back out.

Both dog and human had suffered some minor injuries: Leasure had fallen off a 5-foot-tall rock and Marley’s paws had been cut up by the terrain.

“I’m glad I didn’t hit my head,” Leasure said. “I … I could have died, you know.

Posted by Courtney Leasure on Thursday, April 8, 2021

“I was afraid. way off. I was on the side of the mountain.”

Marley was apparently having a rough go of it as well, sensing her owner’s state.

“Well, she was shaking and she could probably see the fear in me, so we were both shaking — she was whining, holding up her right paw,” Leasure said.