break - threats to my dog

Since last week, I’ve been having online attacks and people calling my personal unlisted phone, sending FB messages, and making threats in pet and hiking facebook groups that threaten one of my dogs, by name and with photos.

I never thought I’d be getting “kidnapping” threats to my dog by sharing online hiking tips.

I make hiking videos and trip reports like the Fisherman’s Trail or Dolomites or cute German trails - often including my dogs because they are an important part of my hiking life and maybe yours too.

Maybe not.

but……

This is new to me.

Maybe I’m naive.

I didn’t grow up under communism or have abusive family.

Very lucky, I admit.

However, I’ve been sitting on hours of footage with my doodle on our multi-day trek across Switzerland and Germany on the Hochrhein-Hoehenweg trail.

It’s a really cool multi-day hike easily accessed via the Zurich airport. It’s mellow thru-hike with forest, vineyards, insane Rhine river waterfalls (biggest in Europe) and with views of the Alps almost the entire time on a clear day.

We ran into a blizzard in the spring and let me tell you, a Doodle has challenges in snow, unlike my husky.

She was do damn cute and honestly, I thought it was a great trail that nobody talks about that’s really accessible.

But these are details I have to stop sharing.

And…That makes me sad.

So I’m taking a break.

…To regroup and figure out this new online space where even a non-profitable hiking blog gets used as an asset to threaten you.

I’m not sure it’s worth it.

My plan to release a video of hiking in a blizzard with my dog on a trail that is super non-descript is now a security concern for me.

I never would have thought that a month ago.

Until next time…peace and prosperity to you.