Young Scout was homesick, dad says

The boy was scratched, bruised and tired, but otherwise healthy.
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
McGRADY, N.C. -- Michael Auberry just wanted to see his family and friends Saturday afternoon when he wandered away from his Boy Scout troop's campsite in western North Carolina's rugged mountains.
"He was homesick," said Kent Auberry, Michael's father. "He started walking and thought he'd hitchhike home."
Michael, a 12-year-old Boy Scout from Greensboro, N.C., spent three night lost in the rocky and steep mountains in Doughton State Park before being found Tuesday morning. Rescuers, including a search dog named Gandalf, found Michael shortly before 11 a.m. walking along a rushing creek about a half-mile from where he disappeared.
Michael was dehydrated and hungry for store-bought Grandma's cookies and chicken fingers, but he was in good spirits as he recovered Tuesday evening at Wilkes Regional Medical Center in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Loose ends
The Auberrys and authorities were still trying to piece together Michael's story Tuesday evening. When Michael was found, he was still wearing the clothing he had on when he disappeared, except for his hat and glasses.
"We've asked the Park Service to go find his glasses," Auberry joked Tuesday.
Michael won't get in trouble for wandering away from the group, but "we'll have to cover hitchhiking with Michael later," Auberry said.
Auberry didn't know how long his son would remain in the hospital.
"Michael said he's most concerned making up his schoolwork," Auberry said. "He's worried about make-up work in Miss Self's class. So if Miss Self could give him a break, he would be grateful."
Rescue team
A search-and-rescue dog team from South Carolina found Michael about 75 to 100 yards off a trail, said Dave Bauer of the National Park Service, who was in charge of the search.
The rescue team spotted Michael across a creek, and they called out to him. "Rescuers asked, 'Are you Michael? Are you Michael?"' Bauer said, but Michael didn't respond at first.
Eventually, he realized they were trying to take him home. "At that point, he perked up a bit," Bauer said. "He said he wanted a helicopter ride out of there."
The team helped Michael across the creek, gave him food and water and then carried him out on a stretcher because he was weak and tired. He suffered scratches and bruises but was otherwise in good health, Bauer said.
Auberry said his son probably knew authorities were looking for him, but he was unsure how much time had passed as he wandered through the woods looking for his troop. "What he tells us is he was on the move," Auberry said. "He slept in tree branches. He curled up under rocks."
Gandalf, the dog that found Michael, is a 2-year-old Shiloh shepherd named after the wizard in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Gandalf's trainer, Misha Marshall, of Chesnee, S.C., and her team arrived early Tuesday at the mountain and had been looking for Michael for about two hours when Gandalf found him in an area of 30-degree to 40-degree rocky slopes, she said.
Gandalf was working off the leash, running ahead of Marshall and another searcher, Erin Horn. Gandalf caught a scent of Michael, probably from a piece of clothing, Marshall said.