Chapter 5: The Wrangler

Unlike their first overnight hike in August, the start of their trip to The Wrangler was uneventful. Stacy and Eric picked up Nikki and Dalton and they made the drive without hitting a traffic jam or a flat tire. The restaurant they picked while en route was rather shabby looking from the outside, and offered no visual amenities on the inside, but the food was easily the best Italian fare they had experienced in a long time.

The hotel was clean and well-run. They were checked in just as the sun set. They dropped off their bags in their rooms and then met at the bar for a drink.

“I can’t believe we’re actually here and ready to take on The Wrangler tomorrow!” said Nikki. “To think it was just over six months ago and we could barely finish a three mile walk without feeling winded.”

“I think what she wants to say, is that she’s surprised I’m anywhere close to being ready,” joked Dalton.

“No!” Nikki exclaimed. “None of us were ready, and honestly, I didn’t think any of us would be ready, but we busted our asses and all of us are now in the best shape of our lives and we’ve done a ton of practice to be ready for whatever we may encounter. That’s not to say you haven’t been the one to advance the most. Just because you were the one that had the furthest to go.”

Nikki leaned over and kissed her husband. He shook his head in resignation but smiled.

Eric raised his glass. “I’d like to give kudos to Stacy. She had this idea to starting hiking in order to get in shape. When we asked about a harder hike, she quickly said The Wrangler and we then made the outrageous goal to take it on by October. She then made it happen. Planning weekly hikes, countless hours of research, purchasing all the gear, and non-stop planning for this one.”

He raised his glass. The others also lifted their drink and clicked the glasses against his.

“Absolutely,” said Nikki. “Here’s to you, Stacy, it’s because of you we’re here.”

They talked for a few more minutes and then headed to their rooms.

In the morning they met for breakfast and checked out of the hotel. They put the car in a corner of the hotel parking lot and did a final check of their gear and backpacks. All set, they started walking out of the parking lot.

“Good morning,” said a man in a large pickup truck. “Looks like you are going to The Wrangler?”

“We are. First time,” said Stacy.

“It’s about two miles to the start of the trail. You want a ride to that point?”

They agreed a cheat to start the day wouldn’t diminish their hike as it was just a walk down a city road.

“Sure, that would be great,” replied Eric.

The two women jumped into the cab. Eric and Dalton clamoured over the rear gate and sat in the bed of the truck. The driver got them to State Park and then gave them an extra boost by driving into the park and dropping them off the sign for the start of the hike.

“Here you go,” he said. “I’ve talked to a lot of folks that have done this hike. It’s a bitch, but once done it’s something that you wear with pride. Good luck!”

They all offered their thanks and waved as the man pulled away.

“And we’re off. Today should be relatively easy. By tonight we should be about ten miles in and camping at the southern tip of the mountain. Tomorrow will be the big challenge as we get around the mountain.”

“Let’s do this,” said Dalton as he took the lead.

Everyone was in good spirits as they trekked across the miles. They would plan for about two-hour blocks between each short break. Lunch was a thirty-minute rest at their first waypoint. After lunch they veered slightly southeast and with each step the mountain came closer and the reality of what awaited them the following day was becoming more daunting.

They reached their targeted campsite well before dark. It was a small patch of green grass that sat in front of a thick line of forest trees on their left, and a sharp hilly incline to the right. This provided two natural walls that afforded protection from the wind for the night.

After they ate dinner Nikki leaned back against her pack and stretched her legs.

“This was a perfect day. And now, just being here in the moment, I can’t think of anything better.”

There were nods of agreement from everyone. They all sat back and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the forest in quiet contentment.

Nikki finally stirred. Dalton jumped up and offered his hand to assist Nikki to her feet.

“We’re going to bed. Fair warning, put in your earbuds if you have them. I’m feeling rowdy.”

Dalton blanched at Nikki’s proclamation of what was to come but was led away like a puppy after Nikki kissed him deeply and pulled him by his waistband into their tent.

Stacy and Eric retired to their tent and stripped. They lay together quietly, hearing the occasional moan, cry out, or even yelp from the next-door tent. They had every intention to match Nikki’s rowdiness, but they ended up nodding off to sleep as they held one another.

In the morning, the air was crisp and cool. Breakfast and packing was done quickly and they were ready to face the most daunting path they had ever faced.

“OK, does everyone see that peak on the eastern edge of the mountain? That’s our next waypoint. When we get close, we should see a small crevice that we’ll navigate almost straight up. At the top we’ll circle around the mountain edge and then back down into a vale surrounded by mountains. That’s where we’ll camp tonight.”

“Woo hoo, I’m ready,” said Dalton.

They were less than an hour into the day when they encountered their first unexpected obstacle. With the heavy rains earlier in the week the water crossing that was expected was much larger than normal. It was now almost twenty feet wide with very fast flowing water.

“This is not cross-able. Not here,” said Stacy. “Most of the forum regulars suggest following the water upstream, even though it may flow faster, in order to find a spot where it narrows. Ideally, it can be crossed via a fallen tree or natural bridge.”

They worked their way upstream for almost a mile before they found a crossing spot. It was a fallen tree. The tree did not lend itself to being used as a bridge, but the branches sprouting from it could be used to attach their ropes. They were able to attach ropes and cross the stream that was at most two-and-a-half feet deep but flowing very forcefully.