My name is Cody Michaels and I’m a Mining Engineer and I’m originally from this area. I work for one of the several mining companies here in the southwestern intermountain area of the country.

The company that I work for is not all that far from one of the national parks and wildlife refuges of the country. Having been born and raised not far from here my parents always liked to make use of the national park for picnicking and hiking.

The national park is always great for just getting a little relief from the heat of the day at the lower altitudes in the hot summer. The area can always expect relatively high heat that is normal in the summer.

It can be very uncomfortable even though there is relatively low humidity. The higher altitudes are cooler than the lower altitudes in the summer and are much more comfortable.

My parents very much liked to take me and my siblings into the park. They taught us the same love for the mountains and the wilderness that they had always enjoyed. They always enjoyed looking for and photographing the scenic views and any wildlife that they encountered on their hikes.

As a teenager my buddies and I often took day trips into the wilderness, too. We would also hike and back pack up to one of the small lakes that can be found in the wilderness. We camped beside the lakes, fished and went swimming in them as well. It was really good growing up in this area. We were able to backpack up into the higher elevations where the vistas are extremely beautiful.

One site that we used to backpack up to was at a pretty high altitude. There was a view to each side of the slope that allowed us to see the sunrise and the sunset unencumbered by the surrounding peaks. The camp site was situated beside a waterfall and a small stream below the water fall. There was ample room to camp on and spend the night.

It was a really beautiful place to camp, see the sunset and camp for the night. That way we could watch the dawn and the sunrise in the morning. But, we really had to be prepared for a long climb up there and the cold air at that high altitude especially at night. I never lost my love of back packing up there to see the gorgeous view from that high altitude.

After high school my buddies and I all went to different colleges. After they graduated from college, they found the jobs that they wanted but, they moved away from our hometown.

However, after I got my Mining Engineering degree I found a job with one of the mining companies close by. I still lived in the town I grew up in not far from where my parents still lived.

I have been out of school for several years now but, I have not yet found the girl that I wanted to marry and settle down with. On my weekends rather than spending a lot of time in the clubs and bars I would often load up my back pack and spend time in the wilderness. It was a hell of a lot better than coming home with a snoot full and waking up the next morning feeling like warmed over death.

I guess you can say that I am a pretty experienced outdoorsman or at least an experienced back packing fanatic. I would love to have a beautiful woman hike the wilderness with me but, that has not happened yet no matter how much I would like for that to happen.

One Friday night I loaded up my back pack preparing to spend Saturday hiking up to the high altitude waterfall camp site. There I would pitch my tent and spend the night camped out beside the stream.

On early Saturday morning I drove up to a point that was convenient for me to begin my back packing trip. I hoisted my pack up on my back, and about a half hour after sunup I set off on my long trip upslope.

I walked for about three hours up the slope to where it begins to get somewhat steeper and I rested for about a half an hour. I ate a couple of energy bars and drank some of a sports drink and continued on my hike up the steep slope. About an hour after I resumed my hike I came on a young woman who was headed up the slope in the same direction I was headed.

The young woman was wearing a good pair of hiking boots with a pair of tight fitting designer jeans and a long sleeve cotton shirt. I thought that it was a little strange that she was this far up slope and outfitted the way she was.

And even though she had a small back pack on her shoulders she didn’t appear to have very much gear with her. She didn’t appear to have a tent or a bedroll or many if any provisions in her back pack.

She had no jacket unless it, too, was in her back pack. I didn’t even see or hear a bear bell attached to her back pack either. She didn’t appear to have any pepper spray with her at all. When I caught up to her I said hello and she cheerfully returned my greeting. Then she asked me, “Where are you bound?”

I stopped, turned and told her, “I’m headed to the waterfall campsite about another two hours or so up the slope.” I asked her, “Are you alone and where are you headed, Miss?”

She responded, “Yes, I’m hiking alone and I was told there is a waterfall up slope that has some really pretty views to either side of the mountain.”

Then I asked her, “Are you prepared to camp out overnight up there?”

“Some of my friends told me that I could hike up there and see the views in a day trip. They didn’t say that I would have to camp overnight up there.”

“Is this the first time that you have been out hiking and or back packing like this, Miss?”

“Yes it is.”

“Well, miss, it takes most of the day to hike up there and you really have to camp up there since it’ll take you the better part of the day to return to the foot of the trail where you started out. What do you have in your back pack? Have you had anything to eat today?”

“I only have my windbreaker and a change of clothes. No, I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast. And I don’t have any food in my back pack either.”

“You have no heavy coat, no bedroll and no food? No tent? Can you even lay and start a camp fire to keep warm during the night?” I knew what the answers to my questions were before I even asked them of her.

“No I don’t.” I offloaded my back pack and got out a couple of energy bars and a sports drink for her. She ate the energy bars like she had not had anything to eat for a couple of days.

While she ate the energy bars I told her, “Miss, you are so far up slope now and even if you turn around right now and start back you’ll likely not get back to the foot of the trail before nightfall. You could get there faster if you are really walking fast or running. Then you run the risk of falling and severely injuring yourself in the fall.

And you really don’t want to be hiking on these mountain trails after dark. It’s too dangerous to do that especially alone. Of course, you can always start back right now and you MAY make it back to the foot of the trail before dark but, I sure wouldn’t recommend it.”

She asked, “But, what about you?”

“I have a tent that you can see and my bedroll as well as my food, extra clothes and my camping gear.”

“But, what can I do Mr. ah...”

“My name is Cody Michaels.”

“Nice to meet you, Cody, my name is Aubrey Williams.”

“Hi, Aubrey, I sure wouldn’t recommend that you start back down slope until daylight tomorrow morning. I think that your only option is to continue on up slope with me. You can spend the night with me in my camp in my tent.”

“But, Cody, I don’t have any food for this afternoon and tonight and in the morning.”

“I have enough food for both of you and me for tonight and tomorrow morning. And even if I didn’t have enough for both of us I’d share what I have with you. I wouldn’t ever leave you or anyone else without helping them. Come on let’s get started up slope so we can make camp before sunset.”

“Ok, Cody, thank you for helping me and for being so kind to me. I think I’ll hike on up slope with you and stay the night with you then rather than try to get back down slope before night fall.”

We continued on up slope and she stayed right with me and kept up with my pace. Of course, she wasn’t carrying the weight of nearly 100 pounds in her back pack and on her shoulders like I was. I wanted to get to the camp site and setup camp well before dark.

I had to pitch my tent, lay out my bedroll, gather firewood and lay a camp fire pit and fire and cook supper by or before sundown. Nearly two hours later we arrived at the camp site and Aubrey just couldn’t get over how beautiful the view was from this high altitude with the waterfall and the small stream just a few yards away from our camp.

I told her, “Aubrey, if you would, I’d like for you to help me pitch the tent and then I’d like for you to go hunt for fire wood for the camp fire while I lay the fire pit and complete setting up the camp. But, I don’t want you to go out of sight of the camp site and especially not out of ear shot, Ok?”

By that time the sun was getting low on the horizon and the temperature was beginning to drop. I knew that Aubrey would have had a really cold night in just her wind breaker she had just donned if she was out by herself on the trail, especially after dark.

Aubrey said “Ok” and she did a really good job of scaring up fire wood for the fire. She brought back two arm loads of wood for the fire. I went out, after she returned, to find some thicker heavier fallen limbs that would last through the better part of the night.

We just sat and watched the sunset and Aubrey really marveled at the beauty of the sunset. Just after sundown and before dark I lit the fire and began to cook supper for the both of us. After supper we cleaned up the cooking gear and policed the campsite.

By that time I was pretty tired and I knew that Aubrey was probably even more tired than I was, too. I asked her, “Aubrey, are you ready to get some shut eye in the tent?”

“Yes, I’m really tired and I’m ready to get some sleep. I don’t normally get this much physical exercise.” I put a couple of the logs on the fire and said, “Come on, Aubrey, let’s get into the tent and get some sleep.”

We got inside the tent and she asked, “Is that sleeping bag for me?”

“No, it’s not a single sleeping bag. It is a double sleeping bag and there is room for the both of us in it.” I looked at her face and I could see the indecision in her expression.

She said to me, “Cody, I don’t know that I can sleep in the same sleeping bag with a man I don’t really know.”

“Aubrey, I only have the one double sleeping bag and if you don’t sleep in it where do you plan to sleep? If you don’t sleep in it you are going to freeze tonight. That wind breaker is not going to be enough to keep you warm tonight unless you are in the sleeping bag.”

I took off my boots and set them to the side of the sleeping bag. Then I said, “If you get cold laying there take your boots off like I have, keep your clothes and wind breaker on and crawl in the sleeping bag with me.

Besides, if I was going to take advantage of you I would have done that by now. But, suit yourself. I’m going to get some sleep and some rest for the hike back tomorrow morning come daylight after we break camp.”

About a half an hour later Aubrey softly said to me in the pitch dark, “Cody, are you still awake?”

“Yes, I am, Aubrey.” I answered her knowing what she wanted.

“I’m getting really cold. Can I still get into the sleeping bag with you, Cody?”

“Yes, of course you can. Just take your boots off, set them to the side and crawl in this bag with me. I think you’ll be a whole lot warmer in the sleeping bag, Aubrey.”

It wasn’t but a minute later I heard her taking her boots off and she crawled inside the sleeping bag with me. I had already turned to face away from her if she got into the sleeping bag with me.

When she crawled into the sleeping bag with me she was spooned up next to me because of the lack of room for the two of us even in the double sleeping bag. She said, “Cody, thank you for taking such good care of me and feeding me and letting me sleep in your sleeping bag and tent tonight. Now I know I would have frozen without being in the sleeping bag with you.”

“You’re welcome, Aubrey. I sure wouldn’t leave you or anyone else out there on the trail alone without any or with inadequate gear knowing that they might not be able to fend for themselves.”

I felt her raise up; kiss my cheek and say, “Good night, Cody.” I could feel her face and her nose were very cold and she was shivering. She reached around and put her hand on my hand and I could feel that her hand was ice cold, too. I turned over and put my warm hands on her cold face and wanted to warm her up some and comfort her as much as I could.

“Good night, Aubrey.” I replied. I didn’t return her kiss because I really didn’t want her to think that I would take advantage of her even though I sure wanted to. But, I was raised to be law abiding and also to respect women, as well. And I sure as hell wasn’t ever going to risk the rest of my life by going to jail on a rape charge or a sexual assault charge.

I got up a couple of times during the night to add fire wood to the fire and keep it going. I woke up as the first rays of daylight were breaking across the eastern horizon. Aubrey was still spooned tightly up against me in a sound peaceful sleep.

I rolled over to face her and see her angelic face and I kissed her cheek. Then I gently shook her awake. Aubrey slowly opened her eyes and asked, “Cody? Is that you?”

“Yes it is. Come on, young lady, get your boots on I want you to see something.”

“But, Cody, I want to sleep more and I have to go pee.”

“Ok, when you get your boots on step over there in the brush but, don’t go out of sight of the camp fire.” The last thing I wanted to happen to her was for her to get clear out of ear shot and I would have to go hunting her down.

When she got out of the sleeping bag and put her boots on she shivered a little bit and said, “Golly, it is cold up here, Cody, and my boots are freezing my feet. I would have frozen last night without being in your sleeping bag with you.”

“Yeah, I figured that you would come around to that point of view before very long especially when you got cold enough.” And despite us not having done anything but sleep it was good to have her company.

As she started out to step back in the brush I said, “When you get back here come and sit down by the fire with me. We’ll both need to warm our boots. My feet are cold in these cold boots and I’ll bet yours are, too. It’s better to start out the day with your feet warm rather than having to wait for them to warm up naturally which can take half a day.”

A few minutes later she came back to the fire and set down close beside me. I told her, “Keep your eyes on the eastern horizon where you see those streaks of light breaking across the sky and beginning to push the darkness away, Aubrey.”

As I was saying that she put her arm around my waist and pulled us tightly together. She leaned over and kissed my cheek and said, “Cody, I can’t thank you enough for helping me, feeding me and taking such good care of me.”

“You’re welcome, Aubrey. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had left you out there on the trail by yourself. God only knows what might have happened to you out there without food, water, warm clothes and most importantly a fire.” Then I pointed at the eastern horizon and said, “Have a look at the horizon, now, Aubrey.”

The upper sliver of the sun was just peeking up above the horizon. I watched the expression on her very pretty face with the fire light reflected in her beautiful brown eyes. Her eyes were as big a saucers and her mouth was open like she was seeing something that she had never seen before.

Aubrey whispered to me, “Oh my God, Cody that’s the most beautiful sight I think that I have ever seen.” She turned and looked at me and asked, “Have you seen this from this camp site before, Cody?”

“Yes I have many times and I never cease to be awed by it like you were just now. Makes the hike up here well worth all the effort to get up here even though it only lasts a few minutes, doesn’t it? But, you need to be well prepared to make this trip up here and back.”

“Yeah, it does, Cody, and I want to come back up here sometime to see it again. I didn’t really watch the sunset last night and I want to see that again, too. Cody, if you make this trip again will you bring me with you, please? I promise not to be the pill I have been with you so far this time.”

“Ok, Aubrey, I’ll let you know when I plan to make the trip up here again.” How the hell could I not honor a sweet request from such a beautiful girl as Aubrey is? My Momma sure didn’t raise a dummy.

And I sure as hell wasn’t going to turn down that opportunity to have her come along with me the next time especially as long as she was so willing to make the hike with me again.

We sat and watched until the lower lip of the sun rose above the horizon and then I said, “Shows over, Aubrey. We need to cook breakfast, break camp, pack our back packs and then get on back down the trail toward home.”

I cooked our breakfast for us and then we broke camp. Aubrey tried to lift my back pack and said, “Cody that’s awfully heavy. Why don’t you put some of that in my back pack and let me carry it so I can say I helped you and I carried some of the load for you?”

I put my cooking gear, my first aid kit and my extra clothes in her back pack and bedroll on top and helped her hoist it up on her back. She said, “I can’t believe that you bring all of this stuff up here with you, Cody.”

“If you’re smart you’ll bring it with you because you may really have to have it in an emergency.” I replied. “And you’re a whole lot better off to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

That’s especially true of the first aid kit. I always bring it with me but, I have never needed it. Never-the-less, I would never leave it at home I don’t care how much weight it adds to my back pack. I’d almost rather bring the first aid kit than food.”

Since she was carrying somewhat more weight than when she came up here with me, I let her take the lead and let her set the pace when we started down slope. She asked, “What is that little bell on your back pack for, Cody?”

“It’s a bear bell to warn bears that we are on the trail and so we don’t surprise them. You need to get one for your back pack, too if you plan to back pack here in the mountains again like this. We don’t want them to be surprised and attack us. Surprising a bear is bad news for anyone out in the wild.”

“You’re telling me that there are bears up here?”

“Yes there are and mountain lion, or cougars, too. That’s probably the best reason why it’s not wise to be on these trails after dark. If you are going to be hiking on these trails again I strongly suggest that you get a bear bell and a can of pepper spray. You need to have the pepper spray handy on your back pack whenever you’re hiking on these trails. It just may save your life.”

On our way down slope I had the time and I began to see just how pretty and how very shapely Aubrey was. She had an hour glass figure and she could not have been more than 5 Ft.-4 in. tall and probably 120 pounds.

She had light brown hair that came down to just above her shoulders. Her hair framed her face and accentuated her sparkling light brown eyes. When I looked into those pretty brown eyes it looked like she could see right through me into the depths of my total being.

Besides being very pretty, Aubrey had kept up a steady stream of chatter since we broke camp and we began our hike back down slope. I really loved having this little chatterbox along with me making the down slope hike just that much more pleasant and enjoyable.

I really had to admit this girl had some sand to start out on such a trip on a mountain trail alone her first time out. Of course, some people would say she was out of her ever loving mind to have started out like that in the first place. And some would say she was just plain stupid for starting out like that alone being so inexperienced.

The trail was narrow in most places and we had to walk single file. In some areas where the footing got treacherous I grabbed her hand to make sure that she didn’t fall. But, when we got past those places she hung on to my hand and kept pulling me along with her.

I just got to thinking, ‘This has been the most pleasant back packing trip I think I have ever made. It would really be fun to have her along the next time I start out on the trail.

She apparently was getting comfortable with me that I was not going to harm her or attack her. God, how could anyone even think about doing such a thing to such a beautiful young woman?’

When we had hiked for about three hours I asked her, “Aubrey, are you ready to take a break and eat an energy bar and drink some sports drink, too?

She quickly replied, “Yes, I am, Cody.” I pointed out a small clearing beside the trail just a few yards up ahead and we pulled up and stopped for a while and rested.

After we ate all of the rest of my energy bars I got up and said, “Ok, young lady it’s time to head on down slope again. No rest for the weary.”

She jokingly said, “Ok slave driver I really wanted to take a nap before we continued.”

“Alright, but, you can take a nap when you get back home where it is warm and safe in your own bedroom, slave.” She just looked into my eyes and kind of giggled at my satire. I was certainly glad she took my satirical remark in the spirit that I made it. She had shown me she had a sense of humor, too.

About an hour before we reached the foot of the trail it widened out enough that we could walk side by side. She dropped back, took my hand and looked into my eyes with a look of, ‘I wish today wouldn’t end.’ When we got down to the foot of the trail I asked her, “Where’s your car Aubrey?”

She told me, “I think it’s up the road a ways, maybe a quarter to a half a mile.”

I took her to my 4WD, put our back packs into in it and took the rest of my stuff out of her back pack and I told her, “Get in and I’ll drive you up to find your car.”

She stepped up to me put her arms around me and kissed me very tenderly on the lips before she got into my 4WD. Her lips were slightly quivering and there was some slight trembling in her arms as she held on to me. No doubt there was nervousness and trembling throughout her body, too.

I put my arms around her, held her tightly and returned her kiss. She seemed to melt into my arms. I asked her, “What was that for, Aubrey?”

“When we safely got back to the foot of the trail it really dawned on me that if you had not found me and taken care of me I might never have gotten back here alive, Cody. And I’m not going to let you leave until you give me your full name address and phone number.”

When we got into the 4WD I reached into the glove box, got a pen and a pad of paper out and wrote my name and other info on it. I gave her the top page, the pad and the pen. Then I asked her, “Write your info on the pad so that I know who you are, too, Aubrey.” Then I drove her about a half mile up the road to where she had left her car.

Before she got out of the 4WD she reached over, grabbed my hand and with those sparkling brown cow eyes she looked back into my eyes and again said, “Thank you again, Cody. Can I see you again, please?”

“Of course you can, Aubrey. I’ll call you and maybe we can go out to supper sometime in the near future.” She leaned over again and kissed me and then she got out of my 4WD and she was away to her car. I waited to see that she got her car started and I followed her out to the highway to make sure that she was well on her way home.

I continued to follow her until we got into town and until I made my turn to get to my home while she continued on down the road. I know that she could see my turn signal because as I began to make my turn. I looked up and saw her waive to me through her back window.

When I got home it was late afternoon and I brought my back pack in, unloaded it and stowed all of my gear after cleaning it and discarding all of my own trash that I brought back with me. I showered, made my supper and went to bed early as I was pretty tired from our hike back down the mountain that day.

I went to work as usual that next week and that next Saturday I got up, showered and shaved as is my usual routine. Then I made my breakfast.

I looked around my house and said to myself, ‘Good grief, Cody, you have really been a slob all this week’. I spent all morning cleaning my house doing all of the weeks dishes, my laundry and generally doing all my “Suzie Homemaker” chores. Hell, I even dusted my rock collection that I hadn’t done in ages.

Just afternoon when I had finished all of my work and was thinking about making my lunch, I made a fresh pot of coffee and just sat down in front of the TV to watch a football game with a fresh hot cup of coffee in one hand and the morning newspaper in the other. I figured I’d make my lunch at halftime of the game.

The game had just started and the doorbell rang. I went to the door, opened it and there stood Aubrey and holy shit did she look gorgeous. Her hair was beautifully styled and she looked like she had just left the hair dresser.

Her make-up was freshly applied and she was a real knock out when I laid my eyes on her. I said, “Well, hello, Aubrey. It is really nice to see you again. What brings you over here?” I held the door open and stepped aside as I asked her to come in the house.

She stepped into the house and she had a grocery sack in one arm and she handed it to me saying, “Hello, Cody, I didn’t know whether I would catch you at home or not but, this is for you.” as she reached around me with her free hand, pulled us together and kissed me very sweetly.

I kissed her back and asked, “What’s this, Aubrey?”

“It’s just a small token of my appreciation for what you did for me out on the trail last weekend.” I looked in the grocery sack and it contained two one liter bottles of sports drinks and two large packages of energy bars. I looked at her and she had a really bright smile on her pretty face. Her smile got even broader as she saw a broad smile spread across my face.

“You shared your energy bars and your sports drinks with me out on the trail. And I wanted to make sure that they were replenished before your next trip out on the mountain trail especially if you take me with you, Cody.

You never know if you’re going to find some girl out on the trail that really needs your help.” I chuckled and accepted the grocery sack from her, put my arm around her shoulder, pulled her to me and kissed her very tenderly. The fragrance of her hair and her perfume was just wonderful.

I told her, “This is such a nice and thoughtful present from you, Aubrey. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Come into the kitchen and let me pour you a cup of coffee. It is a fresh pot since I just made it.”

Man, was I really glad that I had cleaned up my house this morning. It was spic and span from top to bottom and I had picked up and straightened up and put everything away and had put everything in its place.

I led her into my kitchen picking up my own coffee cup and motioned for her to have a chair at the table as I reached into the cabinet for a coffee cup for her. After pouring a cup of coffee for her I warmed up my own coffee and then I asked, “Would you like to have a little nip of brandy in your coffee, Aubrey?” I reached into the cabinet to retrieve my half full bottle of Christian Brother’s brandy.

She responded with a bright smile, “Well if you insist, you can spike my coffee if you are going to spike yours, too, Cody.” I poured a slug of brandy in each of our cups probably more than I should have. But, I liked brandy in my coffee so I figured that she did, too.

I told her, “Aubrey, it’s not Coffee Royal because I don’t have Cognac and I like brandy even better. And I really don’t like all of that other stuff in my coffee either. I hope you just like to have the brandy in your coffee.”

Aubrey took a sip of her coffee, coughed a little and quickly said, “I think this is better than Coffee Royal and I like it, Cody.” I sat down across the table from her and watched her facial expression as she took the next sip from her cup of coffee. Her eyes got wide and she said, “Oh, my goodness, Cody that is spiked isn’t it?”

I kind of grinned and asked, “If that is too strong for you we can pour some of it out and put more coffee in your cup to dilute it.”

“Oh, no that’s fine. It’s just that I’m not used to drinking coffee that is that heavily spiked.” Then she asked me, “What do you do for a living, Cody?”

“I’m a Mining Engineer and I work for one of the mining companies here in this area.” Her eyes and her face lit up as she instantly recognized the name of the company I worked for.