Escaping Yellowstone

by Larry LaVoie

  He nosed the saw into the flooring and cut an opening. For the first time he could see the ground floor and one end of the fireplace. Most of the chimney was piled into a mountain of rock. He called through the hole. “Nathan, Dad can you hear me?”

  The voices he heard answering him seemed distant. When he dropped down on the rock pile he knew why. The rocks had nearly blocked off half of the room. He looked around and saw a hand sticking out of the rubble. He started tossing stones aside but stopped. It was detached from a body. “Jesus, this is a nightmare,” he said. He looked around to see if he could find another way to the family. He could hear Blake calling out.

  “Blake, I hear you.”

  He tried to pinpoint the spot. A section of the second floor had been torn away and had fallen, blocking him from the rest of the room. He tried to imagine the layout of the room and knew he was on the end toward the kitchen. Nothing was recognizable so he proceeded to cut through the boards that had once been the second story floor. As he cut through he could not see any light. He pulled loose a couple of boards and shined his light right into the face of Blake.

  “It’s about time you got here,” Blake said. “I’m missing the Bills-Oilers game.” But in spite of Blakes comment, Cody could see he was in trouble. He was laying at an angle with a large timber holding him in place. Cody found a spot, made a cut, and removed the piece of log. Blake scooted free and stood, putting pressure on his leg that had been caught.

  “I’m pretty sure Buffalo and Huston don’t have a game today,” Cody said.

  “Damn, I missed it.”

  “Just so you know, the kids and Wendy made it out okay and are in the maintenance building across the lot. You think you can get along on that leg?”

  “I’m fine. Just waiting for help to arrive.”

  “Cody, the rest of us are over here.” It was George, his father. Cody shined the light against a pile of rubble and saw he father’s face. “Stand back, I’m cutting a way through.”

  After making an opening they could crawl through, Cody said, “It might be a long time before we get help. All power is out. There’s no way of making a call. We’re on our own.”

  “You can use that saw to get us out,” Blake said.

  “That’s the plan. Move aside so I can get through.” Cody squeezed through the opening and shined the light on his parents, Nathan, Hilda, and a man he didn’t recognize. “You all look pretty cozy.”

  “Thank God you came back. Have the emergency teams arrived yet?” Nathan asked.

  Cody frowned and shook his head. “We’re going to be on our own for a while.” He shined the light around the crowded space. “Listen up everyone. We’re going to have a rough time of it, so you all need to be prepared. It’s well below freezing outside. Much colder than it is in here, but there’s a maintenance shed with a stove. Lisa, Wendy and the kids are all safe and waiting there. It’s a block away through deep snow. I’m going to lead us out of here. We’re going to form a line. Getting out of the building will be difficult, but that trek through the snow will be brutal. Everyone needs to look out for the one next to you.”

  “Who are you? Where’s the rescue team?”

  Cody shined his flashlight in the direction of the voice and stopped on the face of the man. He looked to be in his early sixties, with graying hair and glasses. He was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and a reindeer with the words, “Santa Sucks.”

  “He’s my boy and he’s come back for us,” George Street said.

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere. I got family here, too.”

  “Where are they?” Cody asked.

  “They were in their room. I came down because I couldn’t sleep.”

  “A young couple in their thirties?”

  The man nodded.

  “They didn’t make it.”

  “My girlfriend,” the man said. “She up there, too.”

  Cody didn’t want to tell him of the severed arm he had found. “We need to get all of you to safety and then we can come back and look for more survivors. I really need everyone to cooperate with me on this.”

  “You promise you won’t leave them?”

  Cody knew it was a promise he couldn’t guarantee. All of them were in danger of freezing to death. His first priority was saving those who were with him right now. He was not equipped to launch a search and rescue mission on the hopes that there may be more survivors.

  “I can’t promise anything,” Cody said. “Let’s get you all out and then make a plan.”

  “This is bullshit,” the man said.

  “I’m not going to debate it right now,” Cody said, raising the chainsaw in his hand. “Those who want to get out of here, stay close behind me and do what I say.” He pulled the cord and the saw came to life.

  In fifteen minutes Cody had cut through enough of the collapsed structure to see moonlight. He made a few final cuts and motioned for those waiting to make their way through the mess. It took another ten minutes for the people to come out and assemble in a close circle outside. The wind was howling, making frostbite a certainty with the underdressed group. He was starting to shiver and knew hypothermia was going to overtake him if he didn’t get them all to safety soon. He shined the light around and only saw Blake, Lisa’s parents and his parents. “Where’s the other man?” Cody asked.

  Blake, who was the last one out said, “He elected to wait for help.”

  “Jesus,” Cody said, frustrated. “Who does he think I was. He’ll freeze to death.”

  “So will we if we don’t get shelter,” Nathan said.

  “Blake, see that building over there?” Cody pointed the beam of the flashlight in the direction of the maintenance building. “You need to get everyone over there as quickly as possible.”

  “You’re not coming with us?”

  “I’ll be right behind. Go ahead and don’t stop until you get inside.”

  “Follow me,” Blake said, taking his first step into the deep snow. He stopped and turned. He was knee-deep in the snow. “Step in my tracks. This is going to be rough.”

  Cody crawled back into the lodge. He found the man crouched against the remains of the fireplace. He grabbed the man’s arm. “What’s your name?”

  “Michael, Mike Jackson.”

  “Like the singer,” Cody said.

  “I can’t sing,” Mike said, showing a weak smile.

  “We really need to go. I’ll bet you can moonwalk.”

  “I don’t want to leave them here to die.”

  “Staying behind isn’t going to help save them,” Cody said, pulling him up. “I need for you to join the others outside.” He pointed the flashlight in the direction of the opening he had cut. “You go first and I’ll follow.”

  He kept the beam of the light pointed at the opening. Mike got down on his hands and knees and crawled through the opening. Cody was close on his tail, shining the light ahead so Mike could pick his way through. Mike stood and was nearly toppled by the wind. Cody slipped from under a log and stood next to him. “Come on, we need to get to shelter.” He grabbed Mike by the arm. “This way.” He took the first step into the depression left by Blake and the others.

  The howling wind masked the sound at first, but then a wind even more powerful knocked both of them into the snow. A loud blast that sounded like dynamite or a bomb followed the blast of wind.

  Cody got to his feet and grabbed Mike, but he wouldn’t budge. “Mike, we’ve got to get shelter.”

  “Leave me, save yourself,” Mike said.

  Cody grabbed Mike by the front of his sweater and jerked him to his feet. “Dammit, Mike. You may want to stay out here and die, but I don’t, and I can’t leave you. Either you come with me or I’m going to knock you out and carry you.”

  Cody held onto Mike’s arm as he took another step toward the maintenance shed. The ground started to roll and it was all Cody could do to stay on his feet. He took another step. His fingers were freezing inside his gloves. He was wet and cold. The win
d was freezing the sleeves of his shirt into ice that cracked every time he bent his arms. His toes were so numb, he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt them. He pointed the flashlight toward their destination and saw the building swaying like a ship in a storm. We’ve got to get out of the caldera, he thought. He was angry. Mad at himself for planning this crazy vacation and putting everyone he loved in danger. He realized he could be the one who caused all of their deaths. With each step toward the building his rage grew until he was stomping through the snow like a mindless robot programmed to reach a goal. He took the last step and was ready to enter the building when he realized he had been dragging Mike by his arm. Mike was screaming for him to let go, but he hadn’t heard him. He picked Mike up. He was covered head to toe with snow. His face was beet red. Cody dusted Mike off and patted his face. Mike swiped his hand away. There was a loud crash and Cody turned the light in the direction of the lodge. A cloud of snow billowed up and blew away. What had remained of the lodge joined the rest of the ruins in a mountain of rubble.

  Cody dropped the chainsaw, grabbed Mike again, and led him into the back room where the other survivors were standing around the oil heater.

  There was a cheer as Cody entered the room. Cody checked out everyone in the room and smiled.

  Lisa grabbed Cody in a bear hug. “You did it. You saved everybody.”

  Cody glanced at Mike who was rubbing his hands holding them near the stove. Cody held Lisa close and said in her ear, “We need to get out of here.”

  Lisa pushed back from him. “We have heat and shelter. We need to wait for help.”

  Everyone in the room could hear them, so Cody spoke up. “I know what’s happening and it’s going to get worse.”

  “What are you talking about,” Blake said.

  “Last night there was a collision of an asteroid with the moon. That’s why the moon looks so strange. The closer proximity of the moon to the earth has caused land tides that are flexing the earth’s crust in the caldera. Yellowstone is more prone to the effect because of the giant lake of magma so near the surface. The land movement is causing earthquakes. It will be worse every high tide and could become much worse as the ground becomes weaker through constant flexing.

  We could be in the middle of a major eruption.”

  Nathan looked at his daughter in disbelief. “You’re not agreeing with this are you?”

  “Dad, I’m going to trust Cody on this. He knows Yellowstone better than anybody. If he says we have to go, we need to find a way out.”

  “We’re a million miles from civilization,” Wendy said. “How are we going to get any of us out of here without freezing to death?” She stared at Cody with fear in her eyes. “Cody?”

  “I don’t know,” Cody said. “We all need to get warmed up and get some sleep if we can. We need to get word to someone, anyone. There is no way to get out of here without help.”

  The office was crowded. Some were sitting on the floor and leaning on each other, trying to sleep. Cody sat on the floor with his back propped against a desk. Lisa snuggled up next to him with her coat draped over both of them.

  “Cody?’ Lisa said quietly.

  “Yeah, I’m awake,” Cody said.

  “How are we going to get everyone out? Most aren’t dressed for the weather.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it. You’re right we’ll never get everyone out.”

  “Then what?”

  “We either stay and let the park claim all of us, or bundle up and have a few of us go for help, knowing we probably won’t make it to help or back for the others.”

  “I can’t do that,” Lisa said.

  “Neither can I,” Cody said. “We need to think of something else.”

  “What do you think will happen if we stay?”

  “If we’re lucky the oil will run out and we’ll all freeze to death.”

  “And if we’re not lucky?”

  The earthquakes will open up geysers that will erupt and scald us to death, Cody thought, but kept silent.

  “There’s got to be a way to get us out.”

  “Not without communication,” Cody said.

  Lisa was quiet for a minute. “I didn’t get a chance in the darkness to look around much. The battery in my phone died, but you still have a flashlight. Maybe there is a radio in here.”

  Cody sat up. “It’s a maintenance building, it should have some means of communication.” They both stood. Cody turned on the flashlight. In a corner of the office was another small desk and a two-way radio. Cody flipped the toggle switch and a red light came on. He looked at the channels, then opened a drawer and pulled out a card. “I have one of these in my office, or did have,” he corrected himself. “It has all the operating frequencies for park. If the antenna is still standing we might be able to reach someone, but without electricity the battery won’t last long.”

  “Try it,” Lisa said, excitedly.

  “I’ll try the emergency channel. That should get the Park Rangers,

  “Hello, this is an emergency, can anyone hear me, over.”

  They waited, but there was no response.

  “I’ll try the shuttle service,” Cody said. “I’ll ask them to send a snow taxi to Old Faithful.”

  “Hello, this is Cody Street. I need a taxi at Old Faithful.”

  They waited for a response. “I think the antenna is down, otherwise we should get some chatter. I’ll set it to scan and see if it can find a channel that’s in use.” They waited, but there was nothing, not even static.

  “How long before daylight?” Lisa asked.

  Cody checked his watch. “It’s four-eighteen. Three to four hours if it stays clear. Why?”

  “You can check the antenna.”

  “I don’t want to wait until daylight,” Cody said. “Loan your coat to Wendy and the kids. I need my parka back.” Cody woke Wendy and told her he needed his coat. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turned to Lisa. “If I don’t return, you can check on me, but make sure you put a coat on before going out there.”

  “Where will you be?”

  “I’m not sure. Probably alongside the building or up a pine tree.”

  Cody grabbed a pair of pliers, a small adjustable wrench, and a screwdriver from a tool box and stuffed them in his pocket. He stood staring out the door that led to the shop area. He turned his flashlight on a rack on the wall. There were several sets of snowshoes hanging there. Cody put on a pair and walked out into the drifting snow. Even though it wasn’t snowing, it was near blizzard conditions with the high wind. He braced himself against a leg of the diesel tank that sat on stilts ten feet above the ground. He was surprised it was still standing, but the maintenance building had fared much better than the lodge. He reminded himself to check the fuel level on the way back. It would give him an idea of how long they had if they were waiting for rescue, but first he had to make sure the antenna was intact and they were getting a message out.

  He walked around the end of the building. A snowdrift, up to the eaves of the building, swept down and out like a ski slope, forcing him to trudge through deep snow twenty feet away from the building. The snowshoes made it much easier than the other trips he had made and he was soon staring up at the antenna at the top of a pine tree that towered above the building. There was no way to get up the tree without a lift of sorts or a very long ladder. He made his way to the tree and followed the transmission cable down the trunk and down into the snow. Great, I’m not going to be able to fix a break if it’s under frozen ground, he thought. He turned the light on the building, but couldn’t see where it entered the building. Giving up, he headed back stopping to check the fuel oil level. His heart sank.

  ***

  Yellowstone Park, Two miles south of Madison Junction December 23

  “Did you hear that?” Chase asked Catherine.

  “Just some static.”

  “I think someone is out there.” He got on the radio. “Attention if anyone can hear me please respond on th
is channel.”

  He listened, but there was no response. A few seconds later they heard Elliott. “I don’t think we’re going to get any reception in these canyons.”

  “How do you know how the radio reception is?” Chase asked through his radio.

  “I traveled this with Cody once… Shit!”

  “What now?”

  “We have high water. The road looks like a steaming river. It may be washed out.”

  “I’m telling you, this is a lousy idea,” Chase said. “We will be lucky to make it back if we turn around now.”

  “Hold on, I’m going to creep up on it and check its depth.” Elliott stopped his snow-cat and got out. In front of him was a cloud so dense the headlights couldn’t penetrate, but he could see water had run across the road melting it into a river that flowed over an embankment into a valley. It was as though the road had turned into a steaming geyser.

  As he stood there trying to figure if a way to proceed, he heard a low rumble and the water stopped flowing. As he watched, the river drained down to the point he could see the blacktop of the road about seven feet below. The hot water had washed the snow away leaving a bank of snow on each side of a ravine that looked too steep to go down or back up. Elliott walked back to the other vehicle.

  “Looks like this is the end of the line,” Elliott said, looking up at Chase who had his window rolled down. “We could proceed on foot. It’s less than ten miles.”

  “You’re hell bent on getting us killed, aren’t you,” Chase said. “I’m turning around.”

  “Maybe we can build a ramp. If we can knock down the snow we can easily get past this point.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “I saw a snowplow parked at the station in Madison Junction. It’s a couple of miles back.”

  “You want me to steal a snowplow and bring it back?” Chase wasn’t buying it.