The sun was rising over the Adirondacks as Sara drove through the winding roads of the High Peaks Wilderness Preserve. The notably aged but steadfast toyota crossover belonged to her friend Maggie, who was back at the cottage the two rented for the weekend. It was the week after labour day and the summer rush was winding down for tourists, the leaves had not yet begun to change bringing in the next wave. Avoiding crowds and getting a discount vacation was a win win for both girls. However, the victories ended there as they realised they left the ice at the gas station on the way and thus the food in their cooler had been sitting too long at a suboptimal temperature. It was Maggie’s mistake but she insisted it would be fine. She was mistaken. The previous night for dinner she decided to cook the hamburgers they had brought with them, Sarah had opted for a premade salad, slightly wilted by the heat but at least she did not wake up this morning with food poisoning. Though Maggie would deny it was food poisoning, instead claiming to be hungover from drinking too many beers at the roadhouse not far from their cottage.
It had been a year since the two had graduated college and had planned to take a trip together but due to travel restrictions, a great deal of their preferred destinations were off limits, or the experience would have been so diluted it would have dampened the entire point of one last hoorah before resigning themselves to adulthood. This trip to Upstate New York was a fine compromise between the two but it had been Maggie’s idea. She was full of poor ones. It was her decision to schedule this stupid seven mile hike at the crack of dawn to which she now could not attend because the contents of her insides would not stay inside. Unfortunately, they booked a guide who could not be cancelled without more than 24 hours notice. Sara, not wanting to waste the money, decided to go alone and take some pictures with Maggie’s camera and return that evening.
Because most of their food was spoiled, she suspected she would be forced to go back to the roadhouse from the night before. The roadhouse where the cute bartender worked, was it Ken? Clint? Kane? David? She couldn’t remember, she’d definitely have to go back and ask to be certain. Her and Maggie had sat at the end of the bar and ordered a plate of jalapeno poppers, it was a fairly quiet night and besides a few regulars that the bartender knew quite well, they were the only two in there at the start of the night. When they met, he struck Sara as the kind of guy who definitely rounded his height up to 6 feet on Tinder. But the way he moved around the room, talked to the regulars as if they were old friends, he had charisma and confidence that oozed out of him. His hair was dark, shaved on the sides and slicked back, he was well-groomed, especially for this corner of upstate New York. In a town where everyone probably had the same barber, he must have been sitting on a very well kept secret, and had a neatly trimmed mustache which he probably spent more time shaping than his hair.
He seemed a little out of place amongst the bass Pro-Shop, New York Rangers and Miller-Lite baseball cap crowd but it didn’t seem to bother him. He fed them drinks and a plate of nachos “That were made for a pickup order that cancelled” all night. When Country Roads and Born to Run came on the speakers he sang with the regulars who requested it, all poorly but with such gusto it didn’t matter. His job was to serve drinks but really he was like a master of ceremonies. Moving around the room in a tight black t-shirt and jeans that he definitely bought a size too small to show off his muscles, especially when he brushed his hair back out of his face.
He tended to do a lot of things “on accident” when he knew Sara was looking, brushing his hair, doing his stupid tricks with the bottles when pouring a cocktail, Explaining loudly to a couple of middle aged women who came in what his plans were for his half finished sleeve tattoo were.
Though he did not make his intentions known right away, it was when Maggie excused herself to go to the bathroom when he came over.
“So you guys aren’t from here either.” He said.
“No, just visiting for the weekend.” Sara shyly said. His brown eyes looked down to her lips when she spoke. Which made her more flustered.
“Well it’s actually my last weekend on the job, before going back to school.”
“Oh, where do you go?” She asked, a little bit of alcohol taking its effect, she wanted to kiss his soft lips right there, but she coyly used her finger to trace the rim of her glass.
“Kenyon College.” *Kenyon!* She thought as her memory unhazed, *Kenyon is the school, his name is Dylan!*
“Well, I didn’t want to ask this infront of your friend, but if you want to get together while we’re both in town maybe we could hangout? Maybe after I close?” Dylan asked shyly.
Sara laughed but didn’t say no, “I’m sorry but Maggie might notice.”
“I gotcha” he said, chewing on his tongue, “I have four roommates of my own right now too. But you know, maybe we can figure something out.”
Sara giggled an uncharacteristic giggle, “Maybe I’ll come and see you before I leave.”
Maggie had come out of the bathroom looking ill. Sara, sensing it was time to go, grabbed her purse.
Dylan said, “I’ll be here!”
“Yeah, with all your roommates!” And they shared a laugh. Though she was freshly graduated and trying to be done with the “quietly hooking up without waking up an audience thing” Dylan proved a tempting bit of bait, a last hurrah. Though she tried to think of all the places he could kiss her with his stupid mustache, her pleasant fantasies were chased away by the sound of Maggie throwing up. *Yeah, this audience shit has got to go.*
When she pulled into the parking lot at the base of the Broken Paddle trail she saw the people she would be spending the next few hours with. Their guide the website said was named Ian, an older couple in their early 50’s and just enthusiastic about leaving the city. They wore windbreakers despite the fact that they were still expecting summer temperatures as well as tilley hats and copious amounts of sunblock. They were the kind of people who have enough sense to prepare for any eventuality but lack the sense to actually travel pragmatically. There was another couple, maybe a few years younger than Sara. They looked young and cosmopolitan, the guy looked decked out in camping gear that was old and second hand, the girl’s stuff was bought brand new, she had a Yeti cooler, a Yeti thermos, a Swell brand water bottle, lulu lemon yoga pants, new hiking shoes and a Patagonia jacket. Neither looked happy to be there, Sara couldn’t tell whose idea it was for a romantic get away through the woods but she anticipated that they would be fighting over it before the weekend was through. Was it the college-aged guy trying to prove his masculinity in front of a new girlfriend, scraping together what camping equipment he could muster which stood the test of time? Was the girl the more enthusiastic hiker because she actually went out to buy a bunch of new equipment for the occasion, or maybe it was for the gram?
Last was a man in his upper 30’s, maybe a little younger than Ian who introduced himself merely as Ben. Like Ian, he had a beard and his flannel shirt and canvas backpack as well his cargo pants projected the image of confidence in the bush but unlike Ian, he lacked the rugged “man of the mountain” look. Ben’s beard was short, well trimmed and deliberate; certainly not the product of being too isolated to use a razor for too long. His skin was slightly tanned but evenly so, not the patchwork of overlapping burns, farmer’s tan lines and regular pale skin Ian had. His fingernails were neatly trimmed on his strong hands on which he wore an expensive watch, the kind a salesperson would describe as a chronograph or a timepiece. Sara’s first impression was that he was an urban dandy in cosplay but his boots bore a great deal of wear and tear so maybe he wasn’t all talk.
Sara herself wasn’t much to talk, the outdoors were FINE, she’d been in the Yeti girl’s shoes before, where some guy from Tinder or Bumble or Hinge would propose a hike after a few weeks of talking; she would agree and neither would have a good time. She did like the exercise though, the physical challenge. It was a shame Maggie wasn’t there because the two were often very competitive. Maggie may be an ice-forgetting ditz sometimes but she was often ahead of Sara in a great many things, her marks had often been better. Sara She would often suggest a double date with her man of the week who would in turn find a friend to dump on Sara for an evening, he’d pretend to be interested in the ins and outs of accounting and finance while Maggie got more intimate with her date until they remembered they weren’t alone and regretted making it a doubles thing. Though no one would ever doubt that Sara was not a great beauty herself, she had tanned skin, dark hair and alluring honey-coloured eyes. She exuded an independent energy that a lot of men, the kind that are self-conscious about their place in the world, are put off by. Maggie was thin, With dark brown eyes, pale skin and charming freckles who would often be interrupted during a yoga or spin class by guys. Sara was approached less in places like the gym because it is rather hard to strike up a conversation with a girl as she is flipping tires and deadlifting.
For her judgements about her companions, she was certain that they would not be able to say anything about her. She was wearing her Queenston University t-shirt, a sports bra and jogging shorts. As the others applied bug spray to themselves she didn’t want to appear amateur and admit she forgot hers and wondered how her legs would fare.
“Would you like some bug spray?” Ben asked.
“Oh thank you! It will save me from having to dig through my bag!” Sara said with a smile, trying to hide the fact that there was no amount of digging she could do that would produce the bottle of bug spray which was currently sitting in Maggie’s room as she was the one who volunteered to bring it.
Ben bent down and sprayed her legs and stood back up. They made awkward eye contact for six beats of Sara’s heart. “Are you going to rub it in ?” he asked.
Sara hoped that he didn’t notice her blushing. “Oh! Right!” she awkwardly patted her head which was adorned by two dutch braids feeling for her sunglasses to hide her face. She bent down to give herself a quick rub, then spread it on her arms as well. When she stood back up she realized that her low cut tee dangled a little bit and she caught Ben’s gaze conspicuously not on her cleavage as if he had noticed and made the effort to look away, however, it did mean that he was looking over her at her ass. When it came time to put spray on her chest, she turned around.
“Alright everyone, are we ready to go?” Ian asked. The old couple gave him an enthusiastic “Yes!” the Yeti model nodded and smiled, her boyfriend remained stoic as if he was a grizzled man of the frontier. This facade would have been better sold if he was actually looking at Ian and not lost in the clouds pondering if this was a mistake. Sara responded with an “mhmm!” and a nod, Ben stood there.
“Well let’s move out!” Ian said taking the lead and they departed.
The first hour passed uneventfully. The old couple were professors from some small New England college, who despite visiting the area frequently, hung onto every word Ian said about the local flora, fauna and geology of the region. The wife would point out the sound of a bird, and wonder what it was, Ian would respond and her husband would also repeat the same answer as to not appear out of the loop. Yeti-girl seemed friendly enough and a few times on the trail Sara held a bramble aside so they wouldn’t walk into it. A few times for the steep parts, Yeti Girl who had gotten ahead turned around to help Sara and her boyfriend who was holding most of their gear, though probably voluntarily. He refused her help a lot despite the fact that he was frequently in the back of the group, outpaced by an over the hill couple who walked with dual hiking poles.
At the end of the second hour, Ian produced a bag of trail mix to share between everyone . He passed the bag around but Yeti Girl declined saying that she had a nut allergy, not a serious one but eating them made her sick. The bag was passed to her boyfriend, who Sara dubbed “The Pack Mule” and he scarfed down a handful. Yeti Girl was upset, “You know you’re going to have to brush your teeth before you kiss me right?” she said. “We had granola bars!”
“Sorry I ate them while I was waiting in the car, I thought they were for breakfast.” He said, mouth full of nuts,, raisins and M&Ms
“For fuck’s sake Curtis.”
“Whuh?” he said, swallowing his nuts. “We still have sandwiches and apples.” He said defiantly
“Yeah! those are for lunch! and the way back down!” She said.
Ben walked over to her, reached into his bag, stopped himself and held it open for her, “I have some bananas, some craisins and an extra canteen so you don’t have to worry about touching anything that’s been contaminated.” he said.
Yeti Girl looked up at him in awe, touched by such a simple act of thoughtfulness. “Thank you! ” She said as she reached in to grab a snack that would not cause her to swell up. The look in her eyes as she looked up at Ben was one of disbelief, it seems that random acts of thoughtfulness were not a common occurrence with Curtis around. Though Ben looked unphased from behind his Wayfarers, such an act meant the world to Yeti Girl. When they got moving again, Yeti Girl was much friendlier with the rest of the group and Curtis was now an afterthought. Sara even decided to learn her name, Miranda. Though she was much more sociable, a great deal of attention was paid to Ben who gave her a great deal of short one word answers and non-responses as they spoke. Sara kept thinking about him, the pretty boy, taciturn but thoughtful, quiet not for a lack of things to say but a comfortable confidence that exuded from him . He didn’t feel the need to be friendly because he seemed like the kind of guy at home in his own company. For a guy like that, a hike into the woods was an experience best indulged in alone. Sara made a mental note that he should probably be left alone for the duration of the hike, despite how the others treated him like a hero for his small act of courtesy.
Curtis, for his part, was not happy. Fewer people turned around to help him scramble up the steep parts of the trail, he would frequently fall victim to branches snapping back across the trail as the person in front of him let them go “forgetting” he was there. He was not oblivious to the attention Ben was getting and he didn’t like it but, he could not verbalise his discontent through his panting. The only time he was considered was when he had fallen so far behind and out of sight. That Ian held the group up so he could catch up.
At the end of hour three they reached a rest area with a small stream that ran down the side of the mountain. The old couple were sitting on a log, looking through a pair of overpriced binoculars trying to find a bird that had been calling them through the trees. The Man did know it by name to hear it but only after being “reminded” by Ian. Ben splashed water on his face from the stream and Curtis and Yeti Girl, Miranda, stood somewhere out of hearshot to have a relationship defining argument. The words could not be made out but the harsh whispers whipped the air. “Oh dear, I hope they work out their issue.” The Old Woman said.
“I’m sure they will Margaret, that boy just needs to get his head on straight.”
“Oh I bet you’re right Bill, he could stand to be nicer.”
“Yeah I’d never do such a bone headed thing when we were dating.”
“Well… There was that time where you missed your train to see me over spring break.”
“Ah, yes, well…. I still made it right.” Bill said
“That you did sweetie!” Margaret responded. Sara made a mental note to tell Maggie she met another Margaret on the trail.
“It’s all about taking personal responsibility.” Bill said sternly like a disappointed father. They never mentioned having kids so Sara wondered if such an instinct for scolding just appeared in men of a certain age. Silence filled the rest area and the whipping stopped.
Curtis and Miranda came closer. “Hey guys, I just want to apologize for the way we might have been acting.” Miranda’s stone face implied she resented his use of the word “We” to diffuse responsibility.
“We uhhhh…. think it’s best if we turn around, we forgot a few of our supplies back in the car and think it’s best we do that. ” Curtis said sheepishly.
“Yes Curtis, WE think that.” Miranda said, arms crossed.
“Well if you feel like you can’t go on it’s unsafe to force you to so maybe it’s best.” Ian said, “You guys know just to follow the trail the way we came, right? It should be easier than the hike up.”
“Of course.” Miranda said, “It’s all downhill from here.” Sara hid her grin and noticed Ben’s lip twitched as well. She waved goodbye to everyone and Curtis nodded quickly emphasizing his desire to get the hell out of there.
They disappeared down the trail and the party waited a good minute after they left from view to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The tension in the air disappeared, suddenly the sounds of bugs in the air and rustling branches filled the soundscape, no longer quieted by the awkward deafening silences of the two simultaneous arguments happening nonverbally independently in the young couple’s heads. When they got started down the trail again, they were afforded a full 37 minutes of peace. Any shot at redemption ended when Bill accidentally plunged his hiking pole onto his own foot as he simultaneously tried to lift it to take a step causing him to fall down and blow his knee out. Ian and Ben gave first aid and Margaret was hysterical, wondering after many years of sports injuries, if this was the one that doomed his ability to walk forever.
Bill did his best to calm her and reassure her. Sara felt a little worried that they were now four hours into a hike with a grown man who could no longer walk. Ian produced a walkie talkie and informed someone important about the situation.
“Alright” He said, “I just radioed the ranger station. They say they can get him down the mountain but we need to bring him to a place the medical atv can reach.” He paused. “It will be about an hour back the way we came.” Margaret was distraught, Bill quieted up pondering the logistics of moving a man who could not walk on both legs an hour down the trail.
“We can end the trip here and you will get a partial refund if that is something you are interested in.” Ian said.
Despite the fact that this hike was not even her idea, Sara felt a little distraught. They had passed the halfway point, they were so close to the final checkpoint and the promised view of the valley. They had made great time for a party of two middle aged men, two old folks, a college girl who did not have much outdoors experience and 240 pounds of deadweight she happened to be dating.
“Well we can continue without you can’t we?” Ben asked.
“Yeah you can but it will void your refund. Sorry, you can’t have it both ways. You can come down with us, or continue to the falls alone, totally up to you, I think it’s a worthwhile view, but I can’t legally or morally leave a wounded hiker until he is safely in the proper medical care.” Ian said.
“That’s fine Ian, we can argue about it at Thanksgiving, I’m going to the top.” Ben said.
“Right on, man I’ll see you then.” Ian slapped Ben’s outstretched hand and embraced him with his other arm.
“It was good to see you, Ian.” Ben said.
“Of course it’s been too long, brother.” They let each other go,
Ben turned to Sara “So do you want to go back down the hill or do you want to get to the falls?”
Sara was still processing the injury, and the weird familiarity between Ian and Ben that she had not picked up on. Also she was a little surprised he remembered her name considering how little attention he paid to Miranda who very much wanted to be on Ben’s mind.
She had to think about it.
Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/yg5cas/my_last_hurrah_in_the_adirondacks_pt_1_fm