The path’s grade grew somewhat, and then some more and then some more. They were all but climbing and then they were on fairly level ground again. At this elevation, though, there was snow in patches here and there. Snow! New snow! Fresh, white, and looked-like-it-just-fell-that-morning snow! The air was cool but not completely unpleasant. They knew to expect the air to chill a bit but none of their lungs were prepared for the change. They all felt as if they’d just jumped into water that was a little colder than they expected. Speaking of water, the Eagle River was making its way next to them, its current healthy but not fast. As they walked and watched the water cutting its course, each in his or her own way imagined the chill that lurked below the water’s surface. As close as they were to the glacier that fed this river, the temperature in its flow couldn’t have been much above freezing.
With each step, they were huffing and puffing a small white cloud all around them. Down to the two kids, they all seemed to be handling the rigors thus far; no one needing extra encouragement or motivation to keep pace with the others, their moods surprisingly positive. They were able to follow handily placed trail markers to verify their route and their pace. Their progress could be charted, gains could be cataloged, and goals could be achieved. It was amazing how merely being able to claim that one had just walked a mile or half a mile or whatever could boost morale. Having a sense of accomplishment about what one was doing, especially if it included saving oneself, was a tonic for the soul, so to speak.
He couldn’t ask for things to be going any better. Neil was feeling like maybe they’d turned a corner. He matched his pace to Dr. Caldwell’s and pulled alongside the man. “Hey, Doc. What about the river?”
“What do you mean ‘what about the river’?”
“Do we ever have to cross it?”
“I’m sure if we do, there will be a foot bridge or something else for us to use. I can’t imagine the trail would involve fording a river.”
“Good. You’re probably right.”
They marched along at a fairly healthy pace until a little after midday. They came to a small trail marker with words like “Crow Pass Trail” and “Eagle River” and “recommended fording locations.”
All the good feelings and positive possibilities suddenly frosted over with the prospect of wading through possibly waist deep, frigid water. And it didn’t appear as if it was merely a prospect. The trail markers definitely led them to that spot.
Dr. Caldwell addressed all of them. “Here’s what we should do, and we’ve got to do it fast before we start second guessing ourselves. Take off your shoes and your socks. If you can, I’d recommend taking off your pants as well.”
Emma gasped, “What?!”
“Emma! We’ve got to stay dry. If we get wet and can’t dry ourselves properly, we could all die of hypothermia.”
Meghan asked, “Bare feet though, Doc. What about the riverbed? You know, rocks and such?”
“As fast as the water is moving, it seems like the rocks should be worn pretty flat. You can wear your shoes, but I’m telling you that I think this is a better option. Like I said, let’s do this fast.”
Neil said as he pulled off first his shoes and then his socks, “Good idea, Doc. Now get to it yourself.”
Dr. Caldwell had Jules secured to his chest with the help of bungee cords and carabiners and Neil had Danny similarly strapped. All of the adults grabbed hold of a rope they’d found at Dr. Caldwell’s house and then one by one they stepped into the cold, grey water. And cold it was. Dr. Caldwell was correct about the rocks. Much of the bed was soft glacial silt but the few stones were smooth.
Gerald was the last man into the river and right away he was having problems. Whereas everyone else was facing into the current, Gerald was facing down river. He seemed to be having difficulty finding his footing. His arms lurched skyward twice as he struggled and then he was down. He splashed and fought to get his feet under him so he could stand, but he couldn’t seem to find his balance. Immediately in front of Gerald were Jerry and then Claire and then Emma.
With Gerald, still tied into the rope line, pulling and tugging as he tried to get back to his feet, he eventually pulled over Jerry who then pulled down Claire. Emma screamed and tried to stay up but those smooth rocks were also fairly slippery rocks, so she went down too.
The water was cold as it surged around all of their legs, but the icy chill that overwhelmed the senses as each one was submerged in the flood was completely unexpected. The cold was absolute, stealing away sensation and thought. All that every one of them could think to do was get up and out of the water. There was nothing else. There wasn’t room for anything else in their thoughts.
Meghan was lucky enough to have grabbed a pair of rubber galoshes. The water had flooded the boots, but the tread on the bottoms helped her to stay upright and steady the line enough to allow Emma to pop back up fairly quickly. Jerry too was up to stay in a flash. And soon they were all back on their feet. Gerald corrected his mistake and faced up river instead of down. Shivering and miserable, they one by one emerged onto the opposite bank.
Dr. Caldwell said as he pulled on his boots, “We need a fire and fast. We’ve got to get you folks dry. Get out of your packs and your clothes. If you have anything in your packs that’s still dry, I recommend throwing it on, no matter what it is. Neil, Meghan, kids, we’ve got to move fast. Grab anything that looks dry enough to burn. We need fire and we need it now.”
They scurried around within earshot of one another and did as they were told. Meanwhile, as the others stripped down and put on anything they could find, Gerald kept chastising himself for endangering everyone else due to his clumsiness. Despite the objections and reassurances of the others, he just wouldn’t show himself any mercy.
The small pile of twigs, branches, brown reeds, discarded paper, and whatever else that seemed flammable that they came upon didn’t look like it would make much of a fire. Dr. Caldwell wasn’t to be deterred though.
“I brought something with me that should help.”
Neil asked, “Butane? Gasoline?”
“Kind of,” and he produced an instant fire brick used by many a household to help start that occasional fire in the family fireplace. He quickly lit both ends and set it on a pair of rocks. The bits of kindling were then piled onto the brick and soon they had a much-appreciated fire that was growing as larger and larger pieces of timber were added.
Dr. Caldwell said to Neil, “I guess we’ll just have to call it a day. We can’t have them hiking in these temps with wet gear. It’ll likely take most of the night to dry them. This is probably a good place to stop anyway.”
“What else do we have ahead of us, Doc? How bad does this trail get?”
“Like I said before, Val and I always wanted to take the kids but we never did. I’ve never been out on this particular trail.”
“And why didn’t you? Ever get around to it, I mean?”
“I think we always thought that the kids weren’t either ready or interested.”
“Are we gonna be able to get everyone through this Doc?”
“If anyone can, Neil, I think you can.”
Chapter 69
Though dry and relatively warm, the clothes from the previous day were stiff and reeked of the river the next morning. Regardless, they were adorned once again by their thankful owners.
Her eyes still half closed, Emma moaned playfully, “Mom, was it too much to expect a little fabric softener?” That was as far as anyone went in discussing or complaining about the river crossing. They all knew that things could have gone much worse. The current could have been the slightest bit stronger and the water just a fraction deeper, and they all could have gone in. Someone could just as easily have drowned. Any number of combinations of variables could very well have taken them from inconvenience to tragedy. That fact was not lost on any of them.
The morning was crisp and damp, but brighter than those of recent memory. Fully dressed again, Claire asked, “Is it later th
an normal? Why is it so...? My god, is that snow? How could I have missed that it snowed last night?”
Surveying the area, Jerry shrugged and nodded alternately as he surrendered himself to a powerful yawn and stretch. Jerry was feeling pretty good this morning and something as trivial as an inch or so of new snow was not going to ruin his mood. The previous night he and Claire decided to zip their sleeping bags together.
Borne of practical intent, the warm coziness and the scintillating sensation of flesh against flesh had Jerry in near bliss all night. He’d never really had a girlfriend outside of middle school, so he’d never experienced such intimacy. For a variety of reasons, Jerry and Claire steered clear of actual intercourse. They did, however, enjoy one another’s company just short of that. Jerry, though clumsy, enjoyed exploring Claire’s body with hands and lips, feeling and tasting her soft skin with each new discovery. There weren’t many words exchanged but they spoke to one another with fingers all night long. And despite having gotten no sleep, Jerry felt reinvigorated and restored.
Sitting next to the young man on a log as the two laced their boots, Neil said, “That’s quite a smile you’ve got today.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“It’s good to see. Kinda makes me want to smile too. D’you mind me asking if it was your first time?”
“It was a night of a lot of firsts but it stopped short of being a first for everything.”
“It doesn’t seem to matter too much.”
“No, it certainly doesn’t.”
Claire walked up, kissed Jerry on the cheek and shot Neil a playful look. She asked, “You ready old man?”
Holding his chest in protest, Neil said, “Old man? Old man? You must have me confused with...”
Claire leaned over and kissed Neil on the cheek too, saying as she did, “Just kidding. It’s about time to be going though, isn’t it?”
Neil said, “I think I’ve just got about enough time to put in my dentures and take my pills.” As he walked away, his voice trailed off, “Young whippersnappers, telling me when it’s time to go...”
Claire kissed Jerry on the mouth as soon as they were alone. “Thank you for last night. You were great and just what I needed. Maybe next time we can...you know, finish the show.”
Jerry kissed her back. “All in good time. Last night was the best night of my life and I couldn’t think of anyone better to spend it with than you. Was it okay?”
Claire jumped to her feet from his lap and whispered, “It was okay several times, if you know what I mean.”
Jerry’s grin grew to an ear-to-ear beaming smile with Claire’ comment. He watched her walk away, forgetting what he’d been doing only seconds before. His head feeling very light as he looked around, he caught sight of Neil who was smiling back at him. Jerry suddenly felt like he was finally being considered for membership in an exclusive club and he wanted in, figuratively and literally.
Chapter 70
The hike was starting to more closely resemble Dr. Caldwell’s description. The going was getting much tougher. The trail, though groomed, seemed to increase its incline with every step. They were being required to use their hands much more to pull themselves up especially steep stretches of the trail. Regardless of Jerry’s earlier mood and enthusiasm, he too was feeling the rigors of the day’s journey.
They passed a beautiful waterfall and a fantastic view of a glacier; both points of interest still awing them. It was moments like that in which their feet felt a little lighter and the way seemed a little less grueling. They were just fleeting moments, however, and didn’t lend themselves to savoring or to holding for any length of time.
When the trail pulled alongside more water, they all became agitated, anticipating the worst. The thought of crossing another river did not interest any of them in the slightest. This was starting to seem like a bad idea. They still weren’t that far into the trail, a few miles at most. They could turn around and head back to the...and that was where everyone’s thought ended. At different moments, most of them fought back the urge to argue for a different plan. In the end though, there weren’t many options to consider.
The group was increasingly apprehensive, and were extremely anxious by the time they spied the sturdy wooden footbridge. The sense of relief they all felt was overwhelming and immediate. At that precise moment, nothing else much mattered. No one spoke; there really was no need. The feeling they all shared was quite clear. Meghan and Emma, arm in arm, actually skipped a bit. Dr. Caldwell thought he might have even heard Neil humming tunes to himself. Trying desperately to witness this rare moment of levity, the sun, though still obscured by the grey blanket hanging heavily overhead, tried its best to participate as well.
A small, flat piece of moss-carpeted land next to the bridge seemed as good a place as any to eat lunch. The wisdom of stopping was questioned but Dr. Caldwell pointed out that they should eat or risk coming upon trouble without the energy to fight or run. Besides, the location was absolutely striking, and the air smelled green and fresh. It was a postcard photo waiting to be taken. They ate dry cereal, cold canned chili, and the last of the juice. It was a delicious, if eclectic, feast.
The rest did them good and was well timed, because the road before them did its level best to challenge them. The dirt beneath their feet became mud; slippery, sticky, bad smelling mud. They found the angles at which they had to walk had sharpened as well. On more than one occasion, one of them would lose his or her footing and slide back down the hill, sometimes catching another of their number as they went. They pushed and pulled one another to help the forward momentum continue, but the demands of the trail were slowing them.
And then the weather also decided to play more of a part in the happenings of the day. A distant fog was suddenly not so distant, and with it came a damp bite in the air. In little time, the dampness evolved into a hanging mist that formed little beads on all of their parkas. The beads formed themselves into pools, which then ran down the coat surfaces, dripping onto pants and shoes and those around them. The breeze gained strength and the mist became a steady drizzle.
The inclined trail, its mud running with water, became harder and harder to traverse. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining very hard or the trail would be mostly impassable.
With that thought in his mind, Neil caught up to Dr. Caldwell. “How concerned should we be about the weather?”
“Very. In fact, I’m surprised there isn’t more snow up here. I’d say we’re pretty lucky right now if this is as bad as it gets. Even if it gets worse, I think we’ve gotten through most of the harder sections of the Pass. I’m guessing that we might have just a bit longer before we’re heading back down.”
“I thought you said that you’d never been on this trail before?”
“I haven’t, but we’ve been going up since we crossed the river. We’re hiking a trail, not climbing a mountain. It just stands to reason. Besides, I’m starting to see a gap between where we are and the next peak over. I think we’re coming to the end.”
Despite the doctor’s seemingly informed prediction, they did continue to climb. They were using their hands as much or more than their feet. At least, that’s how it felt. Neil was reminded of his friend’s stories about his Outward Bound experiences in rural Colorado and Wyoming. He hoped that he would find more than just a sense of accomplishment at the end of his journey, though.
Having to use them to steady themselves against muddy rock outcrops and wet tree branches, everyone’s hands were cold and wet. Their gloves helped somewhat, but only until they too were soaked and cold. Their leg and back muscles, deprived of calories, began to protest with each demanding step. They forced their feet forward all throughout the day, electing not to take any more breaks; not that there were reasonable places in which to take them anyway.
They eventually came to a crest of sorts. The odd rock configurations gave the impression that someone or something had created this rock pile in a different time and then got distracted, forgetti
ng about the pile and leaving it there for them. The large slabs of grey rock protruded out in any number of angles. There was a particularly large rock that sat over a nice flat area. The rock overhead kept much of the space underneath dry and shielded from the elements. They all thought the exact same thing that hundreds, likely thousands, of those who had preceded them had thought: this was an excellent spot to pitch camp. And so they did.
It had been a long, arduous day but they’d made it. Tomorrow would be literally all down hill.
Chapter 71
The morning was dark and cold, and there was snow again. More this time. It hung in the trees and covered the ground. The trail and all of its perils was likewise concealed. Neil hurried from the relative warmth of the tent over to the fire Gerald tended.
“Mornin’.”
“Mornin’. You plannin’ to catch some more zzz’s before we head out?” asked Neil.
“No, I think I’m up to stay.”
Gerald wasn’t much of a talker and this morning proved to be no different. He looked off toward the east, hoping to catch the slightest hint of the rising sun. Hoping some friendly interaction might help to stave off the chill, Neil asked, “Gerald, what did you do before all this?”
At first there wasn’t a reply. Thinking that perhaps Gerald had dozed and didn’t hear his question, Neil was about to ask again when Gerald said, “I’ve been lots of things in my days. Student. Teacher. Soldier. Husband. Father. Widower. Lately, I’ve been taking classes at the university.”
“What kind of classes?”
“Dance.”
“Dance?”
Gerald looked over at Neil with a playful protest and continued, “Yeah, dance. What’s wrong with dance?”
“I don’t know. Nothin’ I guess. It’s just that...well, what’s the attraction?”
“What do you think the pretty girl ratio is in a dance class as opposed to, let’s say, a political science class? It’s a chance for me to get out, get some exercise, and remember what it was to be a man.”
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