Timberline Trail by Lockner Loren

Author:Lockner, Loren [Lockner, Loren]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Publisher: VBW
Published: 2013-01-04T22:00:00+00:00

It took them nearly two hours to reach the cave. Between huge slippery rocks and the Bear River they had to reroute twice and what had originally appeared to be less than an hour’s journey ended up nearly ninety minutes by the time they reached the river. While the Bear isn’t considered a huge river, at some places it spans a good fifteen feet across with swiftly moving white-tipped water. They searched in vain for a crossing point until Jon finally gave up, indicating they had to ford it even if it meant getting their feet wet since the sun was about to set.

A half-rotten log lay suspended over part of the river and they both teetered to the end of it before Jon gingerly placed his feet into the foot-deep river, splashing as quickly as he dared to the other side. Tia followed suit but the damage was already done. Water immediately seeped into her boots, instantly turning her toes numb. Jon inspected the bottom of her snow pants and shook his head grimly.

“We’ve got to find shelter quickly before our feet freeze! The boulders are right over there and directly behind them is the cave.”

Tia trailed behind, watching Jon squeeze his body between two flatiron type rocks and disappear into the dark.

“Just a moment,” he shouted, after Tia pushed her body between the two cold slabs of rock.

Pulling a torch from his bag he illuminated a circular cave, the size of a good-sized room, which smelt dank and musty. His flashlight swung left and right and Tia noted inoffensive piles of dried dung and straggly grass spotting the sandy surface.

“Will this do?” asked Jon, leaning his rifle against a white boulder.

“Of course.” The cave felt warmer than outside, the heavy boulders sheltering it from the brisk wind.

“Maybe we can make a fire since there’s a thin fissure between the rocks at the top of the cave.”

He lay down his pack and once again squeezed through the crevice to forage for dry kindling. Tia dropped the rough green blanket upon the ground and grabbing up the torch examined the cave in the dim light. The small cavern extended out only a few yards in the shape of an Apache wickiup, its ceiling rising a good twenty feet from the cave floor. Roots from an old dead tree broke through the ancient rock and Tia twisted off a thick piece. The size of her arm, it would burn well.

Tia slipped out of the cave to join Jon in his search for wood and kindling. He appeared a couple minutes later dragging a large dead log behind him. Over the next few minutes the pair broke off the extending limbs and managed to drag the main trunk of the log into their shadowy shelter. Night suddenly fell in one obscuring swoop as the exhausted sun sank behind the ridge.

In the dimness of the cave Tia whispered, “You wouldn’t have any matches by chance?”

“I’ve got something much better, thank you,” said Jon, whipping a lighter out of his parka pocket with a flourish.

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