The winter I lived in an oil camp in Northeast Alberta while working for Conservation Canines was a special one. Not only did I get to drive on ice roads and break trail through thigh deep snow for an adorable yellow lab named Waylon, but I got to be part of a crew that was as “Lord of the Rings” – loving as me.

Although the food was delicious and abundant in oil camp, I didn’t always feel the need to eat dinner. Unfortunately, that meant I missed out on the one conversation to rule them all: the discussion of which crew member was which “Lord of the Rings” character. Knowing how important such a conversation would be to me, the crew filled me in the next evening.

It’s no secret that I consider myself a hobbit, but I also think I’m half-elf because I’m half Finnish. (Tolkien based an Elvish language on Finnish.) There’s a third role that I definitely fit: that of the rangers. But I don’t really travel alone that often, do I? 🙂 Ever wonder where the name Ranger Trampings comes from?

With baited breath I waited to hear who my colleagues thought I was in Middle Earth.

“We decided you’re Rosie.”

“… but that means I never leave the Shire!” I responded, feeling a little let down.

“You’re Rosie because you’re worth coming home to.”

For those who don’t remember, Rosie is the curly-haired hobbit who Sam had his eye on before leaving the Shire. While at the lowest of lows in Mordor, Sam pictures her dancing at Bilbo’s birthday party, and that helps give him the strength to keep Frodo and him moving. She’s the woman he marries after his return to the Shire. Despite my preference to be an adventurous hobbit or a sword-wielding ranger, I couldn’t argue with that kind of compliment.

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Today I met the Rosie I suppose I could aspire to be.

I arrived on Easter Island, the extremely remote Chilean-Polynesian island known for its impressive, mysterious moai (stone heads), on the 13^th of November. Upon arrival at my camping hostel, I kept an eye out for potential people with whom I could split a car rental during part of my stay. I keyed in on what appeared to be a solo female traveler who had a backpack and seemed to be setting up her own 1-man tent. Ignoring the introvert inside me, I walked over to her and checked to see if she knew English and had any interest in renting a car.

Marianne is French and lives in Paris, a far cry from life on Easter Island. Considering we’ve spent the last 2 days together, I was correct in thinking we may be compatible travel friends. It turns out that we’re equally mental when it comes to covering ground by foot, as evidenced by today’s 28 km (17.4 miles) walk.

We set off from Camping Mihinoa at 08:00 this morning and enjoyed a morning stroll along the waterfront to the downtown area. Since Marianne and I are about equally white, we made a pit stop for our first round of sunscreen application. Although a few dogs had walked with us for a short distance up until that point, it was not long after that time that a German shepherd joined our walk.

When we stopped to admire the colorful flowers and unique look of the cemetery, the dog chose to lie down. As soon as we started onward, the dog got up and followed along after us. When we reached Ahu (ceremonial site) Tahai, the dog lay in the grass while we took our many pictures of the moai. It’s like she was our patient tour guide who knew exactly where to stop and had the courtesy to not hurry us through our visit. From the get-go she was panting, so we didn’t expect her to tag along for a great distance. When she followed us past horses and cows – giving cows a little distance and yet wanting to run after a few horses – I decided I needed a picture with her and that she needed a name.

From my pre-slumber thoughts of the previous night, I began thinking of her as Rosie.

After having our Rapa Nui National Park tickets stamped as we entered the park, our next stop was an awesome little cave called Ana Kakenga, a lava tube with a length of roughly 50 meters. The 2 openings looking out onto the blue ocean were the real draw. Marianne and I decided to take a snack break before going into the cave, and Rosie simply lied down at our feet – actually on one of mine. Heart-melting! She barely looked at our food and didn’t beg at all.

We figured that Rosie would take off with some other tourists or go cattle chasing when we went into the cave. Marianne went first and then returned when she realized we both could be inside at the same time. As I was about to enter the cave, Rosie appeared next to me. Before I knew it, she was entering the cave ahead of me! Such a smart girl to enter the cool cave instead of waiting in the sun. While we oohed and ahhed over the cave’s unique views, Rosie stretched out on the cold ground for a snooze.

As soon as we started toward the cave entrance, Rosie got up and followed us. She seemed to be a strong, independent woman just looking for companionship. That made three of us.

Obviously, we had no idea how long she’d actually accompany us, but we were pleased to have her company for as long as she’d give it. She had chances to turn back to town, but she stuck with us. Oftentimes when we were near a cave, she’d walk us to the entrance and flop over to cool off while we looked around. What a helpful girl!

Rosie eyed a couple of people we met over the course of the day, but ultimately she chose to stick with us – even though we really had no food or drink to share. Her loyalty touched me and even made Marianne feel like a dog person.

While walking I’d sometimes feel a light pressure against my legs and realize that Rosie had come close to say hi and ask for some loving. She usually lagged a bit behind Marianne and me, but every time I looked back to see if she was still there, I was happy to see an adorable dog trekking along behind me. Maybe I imagined it, but I think that Rosie often gave a little burst of energy to take the lead a number of times when I checked on her. She wanted us to know she was part of our fellowship.

Although Rosie was a good girl the majority of the time, she exhibited her playful side several times during our hike. We walked past foals, horses, calves, and cows on numerous occasions throughout the day, and Rosie often gave chase to some animals. We saw it coming through her posture and the slowing of her pace, but we were mostly powerless to stop it. Poor animals. Rosie half-responded to our distractions and may have even learned her name by the end of the day!

Despite the lack of food or water for her, Rosie chose to join us for the climb up Ma’unga Terevaka, the tallest volcano of Easter Island. It’s only 511 meters above sea level, but considering we’d been walking off and on for 6 hours and still had roughly 15 kilometers to go, tagging along seemed tiring. Rosie did not keep her fatigue a secret, as she was slow to get up and continue uphill after our one rest. Carry on she did, though! Upon reaching the top, Rosie found a spot to collapse and then hardly move while Marianne and I took pictures and video. Her exhaustion was so cute, and her endurance on so little energy was applaudable.

As we made our way back down Terevaka, Rosie took to chasing after both birds and horses. While tired, the poor girl was definitely also hungry! During our stop at Ahu Akivi, I thought maybe she was done. She’d gotten up from her shady spot only to lie down under a sign briefly. When she saw us leaving, she followed slowly. Being down on a road rather than trails meant she had to walk the gauntlet of other loose dogs. It was clear she wanted to get through and be left alone… and then annoy a baby cow.

Once we got her moving, Marianne and I made a decision; although hitching a ride back to town would be easy, we couldn’t leave Rosie behind. That would be too heartless of us. And so as much as our legs and feet were ready to say yes to the first, second, and third cars that slowed for us and offered a ride, we smiled and said, “No, gracias!” It was our duty to see Rosie back to the town of Hanga Roa. Since there were so many dogs to pass by along the way, I think Rosie appreciated our presence. We played a little defense for our girl along the way, and we finally reached town just before 19:00.

Rosie immediately paused at the first water dish she came across and then stopped in a park shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Marianne and I carried on to the heladería for fresh maracuyá (passion fruit) juice and ice cream. We didn’t move for quite a while.

We wondered if we’d see Rosie again, and the sweet, thoughtful girl graced us with a hello as we were walking by a park the next day. Having spotted what looked to be Rosie, we were not surprised to feel her familiar lean against our legs a few minutes later. Our previously exhausted girl seemed to have rested adequately and wanted to let us know.

Meeting Rosie was a real delight, and I’m happy to have had a day with the best dog on Easter Island. (No, seriously. Her coat and teeth were in fantastic shape! I think she was toward the younger side.) Clearly she doesn’t go out to traipse around the island every day, but she knows how to make a day of it when she feels the urge for adventure.

As long as I’m that kind of Rosie, I suppose it’s okay to have been left out of the trek to Mordor.