They drove the truck up the last few miles of dirt road, the serpentine switchbacks taking them higher and higher until they were finally up above the treeline. The drive up the mountain had taken them past little rivers and gentle waterfalls. The sunshine had even peeked out a couple of times. Now the mist shrouded everything. Earlier in the day Chip and Babs had spoken to an old timer that warned them of snow up on the mountain, but they were doubtful. Snow in the middle of July? Rain was much more likely.
Reaching a level spot at the end of the dirt road, they parked their sturdy 4-wheel drive and got out. The trail over the mountains was clearly laid out, a straight line traversing the side of the mountain just down from the top of the ridge until it bent out of sight around some boulders.
"Well, what do you think? Still want to go on this adventure?" asked Babs, her eyes on the grey clouds looming.
"That's why we came all this way, isn't it? We have no choice at this point. If we wanted to back out we should have done it in Superior, or Denver even. It's too late now. We're here and we're going to proceed on."
"Proceed on?" she repeated with a smile. "Those are the words Captain Clark used on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 'We proceeded on'."
Chip smiled back. "I knew that would get you motivated."
Babs donned her foul weather gear-wool sweater, sweat pants, buff and scarf, and over all the thin green raincoat, As they headed down the trail all seemed well. The wind blowing across the high moor was refreshing. A family of marmots playing in the boulders drew her attention. As they came to the bend in the path, they saw that it proceeded on ahead around another bend. "We'll stop up there and see what there is to see", said Chip.
What there was to see was a steep downward plunge into a deep chasm. And more clouds. Soon the wind began to whip up, the light faded, and the rain came lashing down. Babs pulled up her hood and wished for warmer shoes. Stopping to catch her breath she noticed the sky light up with a sharp fork of lightening. The tremendous crash of thunder startled her so much she lost her footing on the now slippery slope and teetered on the edge of the chasm. Chip, coming up from behind, grabbed her hand as she slipped over and pulled her back up. But the rain was coming down so fast and hard that the path beneath their feet was beginning to wash down the mountainside. If they didn't move fast, they would go with it. Too late. Even as the thought occurred, she felt the ground beneath her feet slip and slide. Her tenners lost their grip. "Chip!" she screamed, and she felt her hand slipping through his.
Well, that's how I like to tell the story. It did rain while we were hiking. Everyone needs a little adventure.
Want some adventure in your life? A good start would be our display of Adventure books. And remember,
"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."
