Jackson: All I am saying is we should have listened to Max. His family hiked the Devil's backbone. They told Max it was not a place for nice little pups, but nooooo we didn't listen!
**scratch, scratch, scratch**....
Jasmine: What are you talking about! This was a great hike **scratch**, even if we did pick up a few **scratch scratch** unwanted friends on the way **scratch scratch scratch**
Jackson: Well just stop scratching and tell everyone about how you dragged me through the woods for miles, already....
Jasmine: OK, well the Devil's backbone trail is found in the Devil's Backbone Natural Area off of the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is south of some of the other trails we have been on, such as the Gordon Ferry House and Jackson Falls. It is a beautiful wooded area with a stream running though it at the low points, but it has a ridge line running through it as well, hence the "backbone" part of the name. The trail is a loop trail that is billed to be just under 3 miles long, although we found it to be a bit longer...
Jackson: A bit?!?!? Try at least a mile longer!!!
Jasmine: OK, so about a mile longer, what is the big deal? It was a nice hike with pretty surroundings and gentle grades for the most part. It was a wonderful day and a nice car ride there and back. Maybe next time, though, I would suggest that the humans bring water and a snack or something with them.
Jackson: You didn't mention the wrong turn you took.
Jasmine: Wrong turn? I don't know what you are talking about. THere was that extra exploring we did, but I don't know about a wrong turn...
Jackson: Oh, you know just what I am talking about. We came to that unmarked place in the trail where we had to choose to go right or left. "It has to be right" you said, "I am sure of it!" But after a quarter of a mile, it was all "oops, this is a dead end, grr...lets go back...". And I think that is about when my paws started to hurt! Not to mention you started running after that in an attempt to try to figure out if we were totally lost or if we were ever going to get back to familiar territory!! Good thing I noticed that the trail was marked with white blazes on the trees. I knew if we kept following those, we would get back...or at least I hoped so!
Jasmine: Well, you sure did drag your feet on that last mile. But we did make it back (thank goodness) and were all fine and dandy. Until that hound dog at the trail head mented the "tiny little bugs". That is when we saw them. Chiggers! And the humans started dancing around trying to get them off. Now that is what I call humor!
Jackson: I didn't see them trying to get the buggers off of us! But with my thick skin I barely feel them anyway...but we at least got a drink of water and a nice car ride home. And then a nice long nap!!
Jasmine: Now, just a little dieting, Jack, and you might lose that extra layer of insulation you have going there.
Jackson: Hey, that isn't fat, I am just big boned!!
Jamine: In the neck? Never heard of that before....
Jackson: I am going to get you!!! Right after I get this little critter... ***scratch, scratch, scratch***
