Lyn eased her way up the unfamiliar mountain path. She had not really planned this ride up the mountain but her horse "Lucky" needed to stretch his legs and she was tired of driving anyway.
The tack store owner told her it was a half day ride to a beautiful lake. He had not mentioned that while the mountain path was narrow, the scenery along the way was incredible. She rounded a switchback and passed a hiker on the left. He was about her age and very firm with a steady rhythm even though he was carrying a huge backpack.
She turned a little red as he turned and greeted her. She had almost been caught checking out his butt in those shorts. It was nice and firm but his eyes were dazzling and the smile made her melt.
Still she managed a "Hi" as she passed him and moved on up the trail.
As she continued on up the path the miles seemed to melt away in a steady rhythm. All too soon, she found herself entering a clearing with a beautiful little alpine lake.
She worked Lucky around the path to get a better view and began to cross the tiny stream that fed the lake.
Just as they touched the stream an Elk bounded out of the trees just ahead startling her and Lucky; Lucky ran up the stream and slid off of a rock onto a sharp piece of stone.
As she got him settled down she jumped off to look at his leg. It was bleeding quite a lot.
Lyn spent the better part of an hour patching Lucky up. She got the bleeding stopped and it seemed well enough to walk out. Her thanks for her hard work was a shove just as she placed the final bandage. The shove from Lucky threw her into the cold water of the lake. She pulled herself out of the water soaked to the skin.
As if on queue, just as she got out of the water, a stiff wind came up. She looked the direction the wind was coming and saw a fierce line of clouds forming over the mountaintop. They looked dark and cold. She felt the temperature drop even as she stood there looking.
She picked up Lucky's reigns and turned back towards the trailhead that brought her here. She tried not to think about the wind picking up even stronger or what must be a six hour hike leading Lucky. it would be dark in a few hours and she was wet and cold with little food. Things were looking bleak.
Just then he came into sight. The hiker she had passed earlier in the day was right in front of her. He looked startled. Then she realized how bad she must look, soaking wet and blood from Lucky all over her.
He quickly asked if she was alright. Lyn explained what had happened and that she would be fine and started to move around him.
"My name is Glenn", he said, "I know you don't know me but I hike in these mountains quite a bit and I am a certified mountain rescuer." "There is a storm coming up, you're wet, you have an injured horse, and it's going to get dark well before you can get back to the trailhead." he continued. "You ought to think about staying put."
"I don't have the supplies for staying here" Lyn said. "I only brought enough for a day trip: some trail food, water and a first aid kit which Lucky has already used up. If I don't head back now, I'll soon be out of supplies."
"I have plenty supplies for both of us." Glen answered "I have a water purifier so we as much water as we want. I have extra pack rations, a tent sleeping bag and even a change of clothes. I'm happy to share all I have."
Lyn thought about it for a minute and as if to help make up her mind, the wind picked up and the first drops of ice cold rain began to fall. She realized she had little choice after all. She just nodded and helped find a campsite.
They quickly found an area sheltered from the wind. Glen had the tent set up in a matter of moments and handed Lyn a shirt and warm up pants. As Lyn crawled into the tent she was surprised to see a small camp stove with a chimney hanging from the top. The tent was already quite warm. She saw that he had a folding hanger to dry her old clothes by the stove.
