I Want To Live

Chapter Thirty-three

    Amy invited Katie to go on a wilderness hike to Lake Valhalla in the Wenatchee Mountain range. “It’s an easy trail. We can take Adam in a child backpack carrier.” 

    Katie had spent her own childhood traipsing back country trails with her Ranger father. The wilderness habitat and woodland creatures roaming within felt like home to her. 

    The sunny July day was warm. Cumulus clouds dotted the blue sky. Indian paintbrush, hawkweed, and lupines were blooming in the meadow when the party arrived at the crystal waters of the lake. Moderate peaks rose beyond the shoreline. Katie spotted Pacific Crest Trail metal markers tacked to trees along the dirt and rocky track. How I’ve missed this. 

    They chose a flat table rock overlooking the lake to claim for their own, placing their backpacks on it. Katie lifted Adam out of the carrier so he could sit unimpeded under close supervision. He delighted in tossing small pebbles into the lake, forming ever expanding rings that disappeared. Clapping his hands in joy at the plop plop sound as the stones hit the surface of the water. He kicked his feet in glee, displacing pebbles on shore. Both women laughed at his antics. Other day hikers ventured over to observe the baby. Nothing like a small child to captivate an audience. 

    A loon popped to the surface of the lake, swimming lazily, then dove with purpose to catch a hapless fish lurking in the deep. “Mama! Mama!” Adam squealed, pointing at the big black and white speckled bird with black head and long beak. “Quack. Quack.” Thinking it was a duck. 

    Katie coaxed him to sit on the rock and eat small, skined apple slices. He quenched his thirst by sucking from a Playtex nurser, lying in Katie’s lap. She watched a college age couple set up a tent in a clearing to their left, then remove gear from backpacks, stowing it inside the nylon shelter.  “Is this a popular camping spot?” 

    “It’s difficult to find a vacant campsite around this lake in the summer. Easy access to the trailhead and PCT thru hikers often stop here on their way to Canada,” said Amy. She leaned back against a log, hands behind her head. Eyes focused on the peaks at the other end of the lake, but Katie knew she was seeing beyond them. 

    “I hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail in 2008 with my boyfriend, Troy. Took us six months. We both needed to drop out of college for a while. Started at the California border near Mexico. Reached a desert section with no water source for about thirty miles. We bickered a lot then. Fortunately PCT angels deposited plastic water bottles in crates placed strategically along the route. A sign asked that you take three bottles only and deposit the empties at the next water cache five miles ahead.” Amy paused to drink from her own water bottle.

    Adam was getting restless so they walked down to the sandy rock-strewn shore. He started tossing pebbles into the lake again, his rump getting dirty and damp. A true boy at heart.

    Katie and Amy sat beside him, replenishing his supply of pebbles when empty-handed. 

    Amy continued her tale. “Once we reached the foothills of the Sierras there were plenty of water sources available in lakes and streams. It’s a different world being immersed in deep wilderness for days on end. Only leaving the insulated environment to resupply, rest in a motel, stand under a refreshing shower. After a couple of days you can’t wait to get away from civilization and into the woods again. The world seems much calmer here.“ Amy rummaged in the cargo pocket of her hiking pants. Pulled out a baggie of M&M peanuts. Popped one in her mouth.

    “We subsisted on plenty of M&Ms, raisins and nuts.” Amy laughed, chewing with relish.

“Met a few black bears in the Sierras but had no major difficulties with them. Trekking through Oregon was relatively fast. Territory more open there. The volcanic mountains, isolated peaks. Once we crossed the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods we entered deep forest again. Oh, Katie, the beauty of the Cascades! Greater stretches isolated from humanity. Other thru hikers were friendly, down to earth, some even from Europe. All of us captivated by the pristine terrain and energy within.” 

    Amy leaned sideways to pick up a handful of pebbles to join Adam in his playful endeavor. “If only we could retain the pure innocence of childhood.” Her eyes followed the passage of trout fry swimming past.  

    “You immerse yourself in the wilderness long enough, you almost feel closer to God. That pure energy seems more available in a setting like this. Humans make so much strident noise, don’t you think? It’s hard to find any peace.” 

    Amy sat in the sand and removed her hiking boots. “Com’n Adam, let’s get our feet wet.” She clasped his tiny hands and stomped in the shallow water. Adam was quick to copy her. Katie shrugged, removed her own boots and reveled in being a child again. 

    Later they basked in the warmth of the sun lying on the rock’s surface. Adam rubbed his eyes, the fresh air making him sleepy. Katie fished a fleece blanket from her knapsack and spread it out for him to lie on. He immediately curled up by her thigh and fell asleep. “What happened to Troy?”

    “We completed the PCT, crossing the border into Canada. The stress and strains of spending six months together in sometimes harrowing conditions can wear one’s relationship thin. I gloried in the primitive, sometimes harsh conditions. He couldn’t embrace the outside world fast enough. We knew we weren’t meant to live a lifetime together and parted amicably. I was faced with the reality of having to make a living that would satisfy my spirit. That’s what led me to join the Forest Service. No job is perfect. There’s always bureaucratic crap to put up with, but I get to spend considerable time immersed in the wilderness, doing my part to maintain its unspoiled nature.” She glanced at the progress of the sun moving closer to a westerly direction. “We’d best get moving. We don’t want to get caught out here at dusk.” She pulled on her socks, laced her boots, and began to pack up. 

    Katie followed suit, waking Adam, and got ready to leave. He was fussy being in the carrier on her back, but soon settled when Amy gave him an Arrowroot biscuit to chew on. On the ride back to town Katie viewed the towering mountains and tumbling rapids alongside the winding road in a new light. I lost my faith in God for a while, now I see His hand everywhere. It had been a perfect day off, refreshed in spirit and body. She should plan more outings like this.