Chapter 8
Because of his position in the park service, Richard could come and go as he pleased. He stopped to chat with the various employees at the visitor center while I adjusted my pack and got used to the weight.
"You know they have luxury cabins that we could stay in," I told him.
"A double's almost four hundred bucks a night," he said.
"You don't think I deserve a little civilization in all this wildness?"
He grinned. "I think it's the wildness that you need, not the other way around. We're pitching tents and that's that. Don't worry, I've got a great spot in mind. And I promise I won't let you get eaten by bears."
"Bears?" I said.
"Well, you know, or whatever hungry monsters are lurking in the canyons."
"Bears?!"
He patted my shoulder and frowned with only the mildest conce
