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“Oh, I didn’t realize.” I follow him inside the ranger station, hanging back while he checks us in and talks with the ranger.
My eyes go to the photos hanging on the wall of lumberjacks from the turn of the century felling the towering pines. It’s sad they overcut the forest, but hopefully the conservation efforts of successive generations will see the old groves returned to their former glory.
It’s a gentle reminder we’re only caretakers of this great planet until future generations can take our place.
Once done with the ranger, we return to the Jeep where Alec unloads his pack from the trunk.
“Shouldn’t I carry something?” I feel bad burdening him with all the weight.
“Your backpack is in the back seat.”
“Yeah, but that’s a tiny thing compared to what you have.”
“We have what we need for a couple of days. I don’t want to overwhelm you on your first backpacking adventure.”
“You must do this a lot, but I still feel like I should contribute something.”
“I packed your backpack with our food and water. It’s plenty to carry. We really don’t need much.”
“And if I get scared of the dark?”
“I’ll be right by your side.” He adjusts the straps on his pack, then comes over to help me into my much more modest backpack. My hands shake with nerves as we get ready. “Are you okay?” He places a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, just a bit nervous.”
“I think that’s totally normal, for your first time. There’s lots to learn, but it’s really cool stuff. Once we get going, the beauty of the trail will make you forget to be nervous.”
I take a deep breath and follow Alec out of the parking lot to a huge wooden sign at the trailhead.
“First order of business is knowing where you started from, where you’re going to, and what direction they are relative to each other.” He places his finger on one of the trails on the map. “We’re here.” His finger slides over the map. “It’s a moderately aggressive trail, but after watching you the other day, you’re more than fit enough to tackle it.”
“Thank you, yoga.”
He smiles at my joke, then points overhead. “It’s high noon and sunset is around eight tonight. That gives us four to five hours “on the trail.”
“Why not eight?”
“Don’t want to be putting up your first tent in the dark. Besides, setting up camp out here involves more than pitching a tent. We have to separate our gear from our foodstuffs and place those in a bear canister far from where we camp.”
“Bears?”
“Yes, love. There are bears here.”
“I want to make it to camp…” He pauses his finger on the map. “Right about here. See how it follows the river.”
“Yeah.”
“We’ll take the trail slow. No reason to rush. So, if you get out of breath, or need a break, that’s no problem. I want to stop no later than five tonight. That gives us a good hour to set camp, light a fire, and enjoy the sunset.”
“Sounds great.” I take in a deep breath and follow Alec as we begin the hike.
It’s a beautiful trail that winds through the forest. The scent of pine fills my nostrils, a blend of slightly musty and refreshingly clean. We pass fellow hikers on the trail. Most are on their way down, looking exhausted, but in a happy kind of way. As if they’d conquered the mountain.
Midday sunlight filters through the trees, dappling the ground in soft light that dances across the forest floor. There’s too much beauty to take in, and I decide to just absorb what I can. My body relaxes and puts in the effort on the steeper parts of the trail.
As we walk, Alec points out different types of trees and plants; especially poison oak and poison ivy, telling me to watch out for them and avoid at all costs.
He keeps conversation to a minimum, which I appreciate considering the way I huff and puff my way up the trial. While I may be out of breath, Alec appears as if this is an everyday stroll. I listen to him, fascinated by his knowledge of the outdoors, absorbing everything I can.