Tiny 2-Pound Bunny Has Hiked All of New Hampshire's 4,000-Foot Peaks
Poppy Rose of Concord is a natural born hiker. Together with her mom, Bree Schuette, she's climbed all 38 peaks in New Hampshire where she's from. There's only one thing, however — Poppy Rose is a tiny white bunny.
Forty-nine-year-old Schuette is a long-distance runner and a hiker herself. So it only made sense that she'd try and bring her 2 pound bunny with her.
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Much to her surprise, Puppy loved it, The Boston Globe reports. Schuette first brought Poppy home in 2016. At first Poppy was a little timid around Schuette and her family, but quickly she grew to love them.
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In 2020, Schuette decided to start bringing her then 11-year-old son hiking with her. She hoped it would help him heal after losing his father to COVID-19. But she had this nagging feeling that something was missing. There was something or someone missing from their trips. Which is why she tested her theory and started to bring Poppy along too.
“How is 2 pounds of bunny going to navigate this?” she recalled thinking to the news outlet. But Poppy Rose took to the mountains like a fish to water. She likes to climb through a combination of hopping up the path or being carried in a generous companion's backpack.
Schuette has even outfitted Poppy with a special harness made for her small size. The animal lover even dresses Poppy up in special sweaters or fleeces for those cold winter hikes and has taught Poppy to drink from her collapsible bowl and water bottle. There's no time of year when the bunny can't accompany her mom.
Poppy continued hiking even after Schuette was diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis, a rare disorder that causes inflammation and deterioration of cartilage. It was a difficult time in Schuette's life, but after she was diagnosed friends and fellow hikers helped out and took Poppy on hiking trips with them.
Poppy's since climbed many mountains, including the "52 with a view," a list of peaks under 4,000 feet with amazing views. She's also climbed New Hampshire's 48 peaks — the second rabbit to do so, in Schuette's recollection.
For now Schuette is focused on her son through her illness. "My son is only 15. He just lost his dad. I want to be there for him, and I want to give him as long as he possibly can have with me," she explained.
Poppy Rose has become an unexpected source of inspiration for the mom too. "When you’re exhausted in the middle of the hike and you think you can’t go further or do more, seeing this tiny bunny doing it inspires you," she said.
She even wrote a book about Poppy, which details her transition from feral rabbit to amazing hiker called "Poppy Rose, The Hoppy Adventures of a Tiny Mountain Bunny."
The mom is also raising funds through her GoFundMe page. All funds from Schuette's book will go towards her medical fees. Luckily she has Poppy to help see her through.
"Heroes come in all shapes and sizes," she told The Boston Globe, "and somehow I got blessed with a really fluffy, 2-pound little hero."
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