Poem: "Some Still Go Wandering"
This poem is spillover from the August 6, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from Dreamwidth user LibraryGeek. In memory of LibraryGeek's cousin Jordan: "Though in all the lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." It also fills the "Sausage-in-a-Bun" square in my 8-1-24 card for the Discworld Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.
"Some Still Go Wandering"
[Saturday, August 9, 2014]
Aria Thompson was so excited
that she could hardly stand still.
Her older cousins were all
in much the same state.
Kate was tapping her foot
against a rock on the ground,
and Brian was flicking his fingers
as if typing something against
his thigh. Only Erin was still,
bur eir brown eyes sparkled.
The four of them had graduated
from high school in the spring.
Then they had spent most of
the summer going through
There and Back Again in
the Rangers of the West,
learning about all kinds of
woodslore and survival skills.
Their path had followed part
of the Hayduke Trail, starting
not far from their home in Moab
with Arches National Park, through
Canyonlands National Park and
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
to end with Mount Ellen National Park.
Now they were ready for the final test.
"Are you nervous?" Brian asked.
"Because I'm freaking out a bit."
"Yeah, me too," Aria admitted.
"It's fun, but kind of daunting."
"I'm about to vibrate out of
my hiking boots," said Kate.
"We'll do fine," Erin said.
"We've all practiced for this.
We're as ready as we can be."
Their mentor was a tall woman
called Flicker, who laid out
a roll of leather on a rock.
For each of her students,
she presented a knife,
long and keen, along with
a mottled leather sheath.
"These blades were forged
by rangers," said Flicker.
"Few now remember them,
yet still some go wandering,
descendants of ancient kings
walking alone and fearless,
guarding heedless people from
evil things and other dangers."
"Don't pet the fluffy cows,"
Brian muttered. Yeah, they
had all seen the park signs
warning tourists not to bother
the Henry Mountains buffalo.
"Carry these ranger knives in
good hope," Flicker continued.
"If you pass the tests, then
they will be yours to keep."
Aria accepted hers, feeling
the heft of the great blade
with its grippy antler handle.
The pommel was slanted, but
had a little hammer-tap plate so
the knife could be used as an awl,
and the back of the blade above
the fuller was similarly flattened.
"So, can we use these on the trail
for hunting and such?" said Erin.
"You have your basic trail rations,
bedrolls, and other essential supplies,"
said Flicker. "As part of this excursion,
you may freely forage for edible plants,
water, and other natural resources. You
may catch fish, birds, and small game
but may not hunt for large game."
"The land's too dry to support
much hunting," Aria said, nodding.
"There are trees and creeks, but
not much food or cover for game.
We'll have to go mindfully."
"Your route will take you
through Bull Creek Pass
and out to the Fremont River,
along the far side of Mount Ellen,
down the Crescent Creek Junction,
and back to camp," Flicker said.
"It will be your free choice when
to climb the South Summit Ridge."
"Coming or going," Erin said, and
began to sketch a map of the route.
"That will depend on the weather,"
said Kate, "or maybe where the path
leads us, if it's even marked here."
Much of the Hayduke Trail was
not carefully constructed trails, but
rather road shoulders and game tracks
or even just thataway across the desert.
Aria found that boundless freedom to be
equal parts daunting and exhilarating.
"Other rangers have left some clues for
you to follow," said Flicker. She held up
a genuine RangerCom. "This Wizard stone
will sometimes guide you toward resources
or warn you about nearby dangers."
Aria could see that it had been locked
to beacon and emergency functions only,
so they couldn't use it to navigate, but it'd
alert them to preset beacons -- if they got
close enough -- relay warnings for fires
or tornadoes, and let them call for help.
"So is that it?" said Brian. "We just go
out and back, and then we're rangers?"
"The route is known, but the wilderness
is never entirely safe," Flicker warned them.
"You will find both obstacles and opportunities
along the way. Your company has four days
to complete the route. Most groups do it in
two days with one overnight, or three days
with two overnights, but you have flexibility."
"Then let's get going," said Erin, shifting
eir pack on eir broad shoulders. "It's
a long way, and we're burning daylight."
"You'll need one more thing for your trip,"
Flicker said, and produced a white rabbit.
"Meet your hobbit, Miss Daisy Proudfoot."
The cousins all laughed, but Flicker
wasn't laughing, and even Daisy
somehow managed to look serious.
"Daisy quests to find the Harvest Carrot
stolen from Hobbiton, whose enchantment
supports the abundant crops of the Shire,"
Flicker went on. "Your mission is to take
her to the peak of Mount Ellen, retrieve
the treasure there, and return safely.
If you succeed in the quest, then you
will become Rangers of the West."
"You want us to summit with a rabbit?"
Brian squawked. "Are you nuts?
She'll attract every coyote, wolf,
and mountain lion from across
the whole Henry Mountains!"
"It's your job as Rangers to protect
the helpless in the wilderness,"
Flicker said. "Instead of arguing
over why they should not go, think
about how to safeguard them."
"Wait, rabbits aren't helpless,
they have all kinds of defenses,"
said Erin. "They're fast and agile."
"Hobbits are gentle creatures
from safe homes," said Flicker.
"They may have a few surprises,
but nothing in their upbringing
has prepared them for danger."
"Hutch rabbit," muttered Aria.
"I'll take the hobbit," Kate said,
holding out her hands, and
Flicker gave Daisy into her care.
"I just hope that this excursion
doesn't end with disaster."
"Of course, in dire emergency,
you may call on the Eagles
for assistance," Flicker said,
handing Aria the RangerCom.
The last thing anyone wanted
was getting in so much trouble
that they needed a helicopter.
"Thanks," said Aria. "We'll
try very hard to avoid that."
First they had to find a way
to keep Daisy safe and secure.
Aria and Kate dug up long roots
from spruce trees to construct
a leash and halter for Daisy.
Brian and Erin cut branches
to make a cage that the rabbit
couldn't chew through quickly.
Then they set off on their quest.
Kate and Aria started off carrying
the rabbit cage between them, so
nobody risked getting rabbit pellets
sprinkled over their backpacks.
The cousins quickly discovered that,
while the route was marked with
ranger signs, they were not
all the same kind of signs.
Here a tuft of grass had
been tied to show the way,
there sticks made an arrow,
and in other places rocks of
distinctive colors were piled.
Everyone had to keep
a sharp eye out for signs.
They didn't want to miss
any of the opportunities or
warnings along the route --
although it was possible
that some could be laid
along alternate paths.
The Wizard stone would
alert them if they got close
to a beacon, but they didn't
know its exact signal range.
Where the road wrapped around
a steep hill, a burned area came
into view with blackened trees.
The RangerCom whistled at them.
Aria used it to locate a geocache
wedged in the crack of a tree.
"Do we climb up and take it
down to open?" said Kate.
"No, a burned tree might not
hold that much weight, so it's
not safe," said Erin. "We can
lift a lighter person to reach it."
So Brian and Erin boosted
Aria up to grab the cache
and hand it down to Kate.
Inside the canister, they
found a logbook, a stamp,
and a folded message.
They signed the logbook,
with Kate adding below hers,
and Miss Daisy Proudfoot.
Then they used the stamp
to mark their personal logbooks.
Aria unfolded the note and read,
"Orcs have burned part of the forest.
You judge it safe to observe for
no more than one hour, in attempt
to find how long ago this happened,
that you may report it to elvish allies.
Bonus points for any ranger reports
written in Sindarin and/or Quenya."
Brian looked up, then down. "Well,
the trees are dead, but I don't see
fresh ash or charcoal," he said. "So
it's been at least several weeks,
and probably longer than that."
"I hear birds singing," Aria said,
cocking her head. "Insects too."
"This part of the forest looks like
it was piñon-juniper before the fire,"
said Kate. "Those are easily killed,
and they only recolonize from seeds."
"There a few evergreen seedlings,
but they're tiny," said Erin. "Most of
what I see is grass and wildflowers."
"There's brush growing over here,
a thicket," Kate said, pointing.
"Wild raspberries," said Aria.
"Let me check my field guide
and see what else I can identify."
"You brought a field guide with you?"
Brian said. "Books are awful heavy."
"Well, it's paying for itself now,"
Aria said tartly. "You're welcome."
There were, indeed, baby pines
and junipers but most of the cover
consisted of various grasses and
wildflowers like Indian paintbrush.
Bushes included gooseberries
and currents in far-flung patches.
They also found thickets of
chokecherry and wild plum
starting up in a few places.
None of it reached more than
hip-high, though, and most of it
came no more than knee-high.
"There's enough greenery to say
this didn't happen recently when
it was too dry to support regrowth,"
said Kate. "Spring maybe, but it
could have happened last year."
"Yeah, I'd say between three
and twelve months," said Aria.
They all began making notes and
sketches to put in their ranger reports.
Daisy's "report" consisted of letting her
out of the cage to forage on the leash,
then observing that she seemed calm
with no sign of detecting any threats.
Everyone wrote in Sindarin, except
for Aria who did hers in Quenya.
They had no trouble replacing
the cache in the tree and getting
out within the allotted timeframe.
As they hiked, they watched
the sky for signs of the weather
changing, but it seemed fine.
They kept track of wildlife
that they spotted, too.
Often they startled
jackrabbits by the trail,
and occasionally they
saw mountain cottontails.
Once they spied a small herd
of pronghorn antelope far away.
Lizards darted among the rocks,
often too fast to identify them.
Woodpeckers drummed in
the trees overhead, probably
hairy woodpeckers or maybe
red-naped sapsuckers.
High above, vultures and
golden eagles rode the wind.
From time to time, the cousins
stopped for a rest break.
They nibbled trail rations
of dried fruit, nuts, and jerky
washed down with water
from their canteens.
Whenever they stopped,
they put Daisy on the leash
and let her nibble the grasses
or wildflowers along the path.
As they came to an old clearcut,
the RangerCom whistled again.
After a few minutes of searching,
Erin found the canister tucked
inside of a gnarled stump.
"This area has been ravaged
by orcs some time ago," ey read.
"You judge it safe to observe for
about two hours, to determine
how well it is recovering, so that
you may report it to elvish allies.
Bonus points for any ranger reports
written in Sindarin and/or Quenya."
They went through the routine of
marking all the logbooks, then
put the canister back in place.
"Okay, let's fan out and see what
we can find here," Brian suggested.
The slope was mostly barren or
covered in yellowing grasses.
Here and there, large stumps
or twisted trunks jutted up, wood
that had been too tangled to harvest.
Tufts of green showed where seeds
had yielded piñon or juniper sprouts.
The tallest of them were shoulder-high
already, so this must have happened
years ago, allowing time to regrow.
The area still looked nothing like
the healthy green forest that they
could see toward the edge, though.
"Hey, look what Daisy found," said Kate,
and they all hurried over to check it out.
The rabbit was eagerly devouring a patch
of green grass and wildflowers that grew
beside a big, split trunk. Not far away,
a young piñon rose fat and round.
"We've checked several large stumps
or logs, and they seem to host more of
the regrowth than anywhere else does,"
Kate said, pointing. "Something about
them is helping other things grow."
"Like nurse logs in the northwest,
maybe?" said Aria. "The details
are different, but we're still seeing
young trees and other plants growing
better on or near the old, fallen logs."
"Definitely make a note of that,"
said Erin. "Maybe someone could
come add brushpiles here to help
the ecosystem recover faster."
Again, they wrote their reports in
Sindarin or Quenya, but this time
they gave Daisy credit for making
the most interesting discovery.
The cousins moved on, but
near the bottom of the clearcut,
they came to a wide, high pile
of trunks and branches that
twisted together in a barrier.
"Erosion mitigation," Kate said
with a sigh. "See how it follows
the contour line of the hill to block
water from running straight down it?"
"Going around that could waste hours,
and I don't see a break," said Brian.
"We're not supposed to go around it,"
Erin said grimly, pointing to a sign.
"We're supposed to go over it."
Aria looked and saw two sticks
parallel to the logjam with an arrow
of sticks pointing straight across.
This way over obstacles, it meant.
Brian groaned. "What a pain,"
he said. "It's taller than we are."
"We've dealt with big piles of wood
before," said Kate. "Remember
a few years ago when that storm
blew down a bunch of trees, and
we all had to help clear them?
This is no worse than that."
"Yeah, but we don't have
chainsaws," Erin pointed out.
"We'll manage," Brian said,
and gamely mounted the pile.
A branch snapped under his foot,
sending him back to the ground.
"I'm light," said Aria. "Let me see
if I can scout a path over, then we
can help the heavier people up."
She put on gloves to protect
her hands, then scrambled up
the dense tangle of dead wood.
It was slow, hard going because
she had to keep testing handholds
and footholds as she went along.
Sometimes the branches started
to shift under her weight, forcing
her to back off and try to find
a different path over them.
Eventually, Aria found a route
that all of them could follow.
She marked it with swift strokes
of her ranger knife, and hoped
that she would get to keep it.
Her cousins picked their way
over the logjam, passing Daisy
from person to person so that
nobody had to climb far while
lugging her cage along too.
Finally they came down
the far side of the pile
into a knee-high band of
grasses dotted with bunches
of common globemallow
waving its orange flowers.
Beyond that, the stretch
of piñon-juniper resumed.
The trees weren't very tall, but
they provided welcome shade.
As the cousins passed under
the boughs of the thriving forest,
everyone took a deep breath
of the sweet, resinous air.
"It smells so alive in here,"
Kate said. "I love this place."
The forest sounded alive, too --
Abert's squirrels scolded them,
lashing their fluffy white tails,
while cliff chipmunks whistled
from every outcropping of rocks.
From all sides came the twittering
of juniper titmice and screaming of
scrub jays, along with the laughter
of the piñon jays in the branches.
"The cones are almost ripe, but
still closed," Aria observed, trailing
her fingers along fragrant twigs.
"Let's pick a few for Daisy,"
Kate suggested. "If squirrels
and chipmunks are pigging out
already, she'll probably love them."
So Aria dropped her pack and
climbed up to collect some of
the heavy cones for Daisy, who
made short work of gnawing
through the tough scales to get
at the sweet, tender pine nuts.
As the cousins continued on,
they heard ravens shrieking
and saw them dive-bombing
something in a nearby tree.
"Look, it's a young bald eagle,"
Erin said, pointing. The head was
a light brown flecked with white.
"No wonder the ravens are all
freaking out," said Brian.
"Let's go, Daisy doesn't
like it here," said Kate.
So they headed out of
the forest into scrubland.
"What do you think, summit
on the way out or way back?"
Erin said, looking up toward
the ridge of Mount Ellen.
"Way back," Brian said.
"The more we scout around,
the more practice we get
with this landscape."
"Good point," Erin said.
"Let's not be hasty. We
have four days out here,
in case we need them."
They found a dry wash
that was, at the moment,
actually dry but could flood
with very little warning during
Utah's late-summer monsoon.
"I'll keep watch while the rest
of you cross," Brian said,
bounding to a high rock.
"Kate, you take Daisy
and go first," Erin urged.
Aria soon followed Kate,
but then something
snagged her attention.
"Look, a mule deer fawn,"
she said, pointing. It was
tiny, curled among the rocks
where its dappled coat made
it seem almost invisible.
"That is way out of season,"
Kate said, looking down from
the far bank of the wash.
"Sometimes deer breed
out of season, especially
if they lose the first fawn,"
Aria said. "It happens."
"Well, we can't leave it
there, it's liable to drown
whenever the rain comes,"
said Erin. "Grab it quick
and boost it up the bank."
Aria covered the fawn
with her jacket so it was
less likely to panic and flail.
Then she quickly passed it
up the bank to Kate's hands.
Kate found a high and dry spot
to leave the fawn in the shelter
of an overhanging rock pile.
Beyond the scrub, a long stretch
of rocky terrain dotted with weeds
and stray brush led down toward
the green line of trees that hid
the waters of the Fremont River.
That marked the boundary of
Mount Ellen National Park, but
that was okay because an ally
owned the land across the river.
When they reached the Fremont,
though, another surprise waited.
"Seriously?" Brian said, kicking
sand over the sticks that formed
several wavy lines with an arrow
pointing directly toward the river.
This way over water. "They want
us to cross over a river in August?
Without a bridge or even a raft?"
"Well, obviously not that way,"
Erin said, pointing to a sheer cliff
that rose above the far side of
the river just west of where they
stood. "Northeast looks doable."
"If it doesn't flood," said Brian.
He turned to check the sky.
"Water's clear, so let's get
while the getting's good,"
Kate said briskly, changing
into her wading sandals.
"Hold hands at least,"
said Brian. "We can
keep each other steady
if the footing is unstable."
That helped a lot, especially
for the shorter members of
the company for whom
the water was knee-deep
instead of merely calf-deep.
They all reached the far side
and began scouting around
in search of further signs.
The RangerCom whistled,
which led them to a cairn.
"Message pouch from
our ally to base camp,"
Erin said, holding it up.
"There's also a note
that's meant for us."
Kate read the note.
"It says that we should
cross back over the river,
then head east until we find
the big rock outcropping."
Everyone groaned, but
they slogged across
the river and followed
the directions given.
"There it is," Brian said,
pointing to a hump of
slightly purplish rock
that rose well above
the flat floodplains.
As they drew closer,
they realized that part of
the outcropping hung over
the ground with enough room
to fit everyone underneath.
A U-shaped mark on the rock
meant, You may camp here.
"We have enough daylight left
to gather firewood and forage
some food," said Erin. "I don't
know about you, but I want fish."
Everyone cheered this idea,
so they stashed Daisy's cage
safely under the overhang
with some cut grass for her.
Aria flopped down on a log
that stretched into the river,
located a trout hiding in
the shade, and carefully
tickled it out of the water.
Kate found a sturdy bone
on the bank and made
a gorge hook, which soon
caught a fish. She also
foraged a few wild onions
that would add extra flavor.
Erin set about making
a basket trap, while Brian
favored a fishing spear.
Those took longer,
but also worked -- and
Erin's basket trap could be
left overnight so they might
also have fish for breakfast.
The cousins gathered firewood
and cooked their fish, along
with a bit of their trail rations.
They made sure that Daisy
had enough food and water.
Then they bedded down for
the night in their cozy camp
under the overhang that held
the day's heat in the cold dark.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
The morning dawned clear
and calm, already warm.
Erin checked eir trap and
whooped. "I caught six fish!"
"Big or little?" Brian asked as
he looked over her shoulder.
"Mix of both," said Erin. "I
think I'll clean 'em all and
we can share out the extra."
"Leave the scraps over on
that flat rock," Aria suggested.
"I've seen a fledgling eagle who
could probably use breakfast."
The fish cooked up quick enough,
and they had a bit of oatmeal too.
While they ate, they let Daisy
out on her leash so she could
nibble on the nearby plants.
Soon the cousins broke camp
and set off toward Mount Ellen.
After a bit of searching, they
found pebbles pointing the way.
The trail led into the forest again,
this stretch of it a little more lush
with trees twenty to thirty feet tall.
Then they ran into the ropes.
"What the hell is all this?"
Brian said, staring at the mess.
"I don't know, it looks like --"
Aria began, but the RangerCom
whistled. "Maybe this will tell."
The cache was wedged into
the fork of a short juniper tree.
"Giant spiders have nested
in the forest here," Erin read.
"Avoid them by climbing over,
under, or through the webs
without touching the strands.
Green ropes have been left
by other rangers to provide
safe passage in some places."
Paper rustled as ey unfolded
another page. "There's a map
that shows the rope course,
and where to do which things."
"At least it's not a high course,"
Kate said cheerfully. "It's not even
far enough off the ground to need
safety harnesses, and everywhere
that says to go over has a cargo net
underneath to break any falls."
"Yeah no, I do not want to find out
what happens if we touch the rope,"
Brian said, shaking his head.
They signed the logbook,
stamped their personal ones,
then frowned at the ropes.
"We can do this," said Aria.
"We have gotten through
worse obstacle courses than
this one. Remember last year
when you wanted to try out
the Grubstakes and we all
teamed up with you?"
"Okay, that was worse,"
Brian admitted. "Let's go."
It was still pretty rough.
They had to take off and
drag their packs to crawl
under the low webs, and
pass Daisy hand to hand.
In other places, they needed
to climb through holes in webs.
Another stretch required them
to clamber from tree to tree so
as to avoid the white webs
stretching underneath.
Then disaster struck.
Erin slipped just enough
to touch one white strand.
Something huge plummeted
out of the trees above them.
Aria screamed and bolted
off the end of the obstacle.
Daisy freaked out inside
her cage, causing Kate
to lose her balance and
bash into the next tree.
Swearing, Brian managed
to get everyone down off
of the obstacle and back
onto solid ground again.
They all gazed up at
the enormous fake spider
that dangled overhead,
pool noodle legs flopping.
The body appeared to be
made of black garbage bags.
"That thing almost gave me
a heart attack," Aria complained.
"Yeah, that sucked," said Brian.
"Hey Kate, are you all right? I
saw you hit that tree, and you
look like you're limping a bit."
"I'm fine, I just picked up
some scrapes and bruises,"
said Kate. "Daisy's upset."
The poor rabbit was still
thumping around her cage.
"Okay, let's put Daisy on
the ground, she'll feel
more secure that way,"
Erin said, taking the cage.
"I'll find some plants for
Daisy to eat," said Aria.
"Kate, sit down on this log
and let me see your legs,"
Brian said, beckoning.
Sturdy hiking boots had
protected her feet and
ankles, but above those,
her calves bore patches
of deep, messy scrapes.
"Here's a first aid kit,"
Erin said, offering eirs.
"Thanks," said Brian. "We
need to clean these up."
It took a few minutes
to pick off all the bits of
bark, apply the GatorSkin,
and wait for that to dry in
swaths of leathery green.
"All right, try standing up,
carefully," Brian coaxed.
"I'm fine, really," Kate said
as she got up. "I didn't
twist or sprain anything."
"Still, let me carry Daisy
for a while," said Aria.
"How much is left of
the webs?" said Kate.
"There's a section where
we have to dismantle a set
of disconnected webs by
untying knots," said Erin.
"I can do some of those."
"You get the low ones and
I'll go high," said Brian.
They needed half an hour
to clear the trail of webs.
"Last obstacle ... yikes,"
Kate said, looking at
the steep little gully
that was spanned by
three green ropes.
"It's a ranger bridge,"
Aria said, daunted.
"Better than no bridge
at all," Erin said firmly.
"I've done these before,"
said Brian. "Here, let
me take Daisy across."
Aria passed him the cage
with its now calmer rabbit,
then carefully edged over
the gully on the ropes.
At last they all made it
safely to the other side.
"I'm glad that's over,"
Kate said. "That gully
was just nerve-wracking."
The cousins checked again
to make sure everyone was
okay to keep climbing.
Then they headed up
toward Mount Ellen.
The sun shone bright
and they made good time.
Presently the forest let out
into a broad expanse of
raw red rock dotted with
hardy desert plants such as
sagebrush and tumbleweeds.
In some places, prince's plume
put up big yellow flowerstalks.
A gaping hole in the hillside was
framed by weathered timbers.
The RangerCom whistled, and
everyone searched around until
they found the cache in a cairn.
"This old mining area belonged
to dwarves, whose activities have
left the ground in poor condition.
The surface is safe to study freely
before making reports to your allies,
though dwarves recommend against
going deep into the mine," read Aria.
"Bonus points for reports written
in either Sindarin or Khuzdul."
"Oh, I'm doing mine in Khuzdul,"
Erin said happily. Ey sat down
near the mine and began
to sketch the entrance.
They let Daisy out on
her leash, but she just
turned up her nose at
the dusty, scruffy plants.
Brian scrambled over
the rocks, noting
their condition.
Kate and Aria
examined the soil,
what there was of it.
In many places, it had
been stripped away,
leaving only subsoil
or even bare bedrock.
Kate poked at a sprig
of pale evening primrose
growing in a rock crack.
"There's a little dirt collected
in this crack, just enough for
the plant to grow," she said.
Aria pointed to the line of
rabbit pellets behind Daisy.
"There are cracks everywhere,"
she said. "What if we stuffed
them with manure? That would
help more plants grow, and it'd
be faster and easier than trying
to replace the soil all over here."
"That's a great idea," said Kate.
"We can start where we are."
She used a tuft of dead grass
to sweep the fresh rabbit pellets
onto a leaf. Then she tipped
them down a crack in the rock.
Meanwhile Brian was prodding
at some white streaks on the rock.
"Look at this," he said. "I think it
could be guano. There seem
to be bats roosting in the mine."
"I've read about that," said Aria.
"Several species of cave bats have
taken up roosting in abandoned mines,
which helps buffer their habitat loss."
"What kind of bats?" said Kate.
"We have a lot of them in Utah."
"Probably big brown bats or
pallid bats," said Erin. "It could
be any of a dozen others, though."
"We should get someone here
to study the bats," said Brian.
"Put that in your report," said Erin.
"We don't have the equipment
to study the bats in detail today,
but we can ask someone else
to come investigate them later."
When they finished their reports,
they put Daisy back in her cage.
Brian shaded his eyes and looked
up at Mount Ellen rising above them.
"It looks clear," he said. "Summit today?"
"Yeah, we've got time," Erin agreed.
"Let's get the company moving."
They searched around until
they found a ranger sign for
a trail going the right direction.
It was a long, arduous climb
to the South Summit Ridge.
They had to navigate around
scree too loose to cross and
splits too wide to jump over.
They had some climbing gear,
but not the kind designed
to do high-level climbing.
Mostly they just hiked,
or scrambled over piles
of big tumbled boulders.
On the talus slopes, pikas
chirped and squeaked.
The RangerCom chimed.
"That's a new sound," Erin said,
looking at Aria. "Not a cache?"
"It's a tracking signal," said Aria.
"If we go in the right direction,
it will lead us along a trail."
"I thought it was locked out
of navigation," said Brian.
"It is, so we can't use it
the usual way, but it can
still read various beacons,"
Aria said. "Think of this
like a trail of breadcrumbs."
Brian looked at the rocky land.
"Yeah, it would be hard to leave
the usual signs around here."
Aria went in wide, looping circles
until she determined the direction,
then led everyone along the trail
as she followed the chimes.
In a big cairn they found
a large canister that
contained a logbook,
a stamp, the treasure,
and a folded message.
"Omigosh, that is so cute,"
Kate exclaimed as she
picked up the treasure.
The hand-sized carrot
had been carved from
orange and green calcite
with tiny eyes of black onyx.
"Look, Daisy, we've found
your stolen artifact and
saved Hobbiton!" said Erin.
"What does the message
say?" Brian asked Aria.
"Congratulations, rangers,"
she read. "You have completed
the key part of your mission. Take
a little time to rest and enjoy the view
from the heights. Have a safe trip home."
They all turned around to look out over
the foothills draped with gray-green trees,
and farther away, the stepped terrain
of mesas, badlands, and red desert
that stretched to the horizon.
"I want to do some sketching,"
Erin said, taking out eir logbook.
"Good idea," Kate agreed. So
they drew or wrote as they rested.
Eventually Brian led them back
down the rugged slopes, and
they turned toward base camp.
Once while climbing down,
they startled a herd of
bighorn sheep, who
bounced away across
the sheer face of a cliff.
"They're so strong and
beautiful," Erin breathed.
After a while, they made it
into the scrubland between
the bare summit and the woods.
They came across a berry patch with
tangles of green-gold gooseberries
and black raspberries that gleamed
like jewels in the summer sun.
"Hello, supper dessert!"
Kate exclaimed, and they
all spread out to start picking.
A few berries and handfuls
of fresh green leaves went
to the enthusiastic Daisy.
Then the wind shifted,
and the rabbit froze.
"Uh, guys?" Kate said.
"Daisy just got scared."
A black bear rose up from
the middle of the patch and
made a querulous noise.
"Excuse us," Aria said.
"We didn't know this patch
was already taken. We'll
get out of your way now."
The cousins backed up,
then began edging around
the expanse of berry bushes.
The bear huffed and dropped
back down onto all fours, then
resumed stuffing its face.
As they made it back into
the piñon-juniper woods,
Erin muttered, "Great, now
we're out of a food resource
and off the standard path."
"This isn't Mirkwood, though,"
said Kate. "We'll just search
as we head down, and probably
cross the trail again somewhere."
That was true. There weren't
a lot of great routes down, and
deer were lazy -- they'd find
the easy ways, so following
a game trail should eventually
lead to one of the hiking trails.
Before long, they came to
a place where the tree cover
thickened, and sure enough,
a thread of deer path wound
through the dense greenery.
They followed that to where
it opened into a stony glade.
Brian spotted a tiny spring
trickling from broken rock, and
wavy lines marked it as safe.
They all refilled their canteens,
then gave Daisy a drink too.
"With the spring marked,
there should be trail signs
nearby too," said Aria.
Where the glade met
the forest again, they
found a stack of rocks
marking the trail down.
"Yay, we found it again!"
Erin said, stepping forward.
A little farther downhill, Kate
spotted the circled X that meant
a good handout. "What's this?"
she asked, looking around.
"Could be another cache,"
Aria said, then searched until
the RangerCom whistled and
she found a metal box hidden
underneath the heavy rocks.
A combination lock held it shut,
but the numbers were written
on the front of the container.
"Bears can't read," Aria said
with a chuckle, and opened it.
Inside, the bear box held a pack
of dried venison sausages, another
of all-purpose baking mix, several
packs of dried fruit with nuts, and
a fist-sized jar of wildflower honey.
"Jackpot!" said Brian. "This will
be great for snacks on the trail."
"Or if we don't make it all the way
to base camp today," said Erin.
"We should be close enough
to make it back," said Brian.
"If nothing else goes wrong,"
Kate pointed out. "We've
had some distractions,
like that bear earlier."
"Yeah, good point,"
said Brian. "Best not
strip the box, though.
Take those sausages,
baking mix, honey, and
one pack of trail food each."
That made sense, because
there was no telling how much
traffic this trail got, or how often
someone refilled the food box.
So they replenished their supplies,
then relocked and covered the cache.
The cousins continued downward
through patches of forest and rocks.
One patch of dark green brush
held a few mule deer who bolted
away as the teens approached.
"Acorns," Kate said as she
examined the evidence.
"These are gambel oaks."
"Yeah, deer love acorns,"
said Erin. "They eat as
much as they can find."
"Not just deer," Aria said,
pointing to a wide patch of
disturbed ground. "Squirrels
have been digging here too."
"Make a note of the activity,"
said Brian. "It might be useful."
They paused to make sketches
and write in their logbooks.
Then they moved on through
a thinner stretch of trees.
When they crested a hill,
its bare rocky top gave
everyone a good view.
"Uh oh," said Erin. "We're
not making it back today."
"Why not?" Brian asked,
turning to look at em.
"There's a thunderstorm
towering up," Erin said,
pointing. "We can't
outrun those clouds."
Far on the horizon,
dark clouds jutted up.
They wouldn't stay far
for very long, though --
storms traveled fast.
"Fan out," said Brian.
"Look for shelter or things
we can use to build it quick."
The cousins scattered, staying
just within shouting range as
they looked for options in
the rocks and the trees.
"I found a little cave inside
this big split rock," Kate called,
and they gathered to look at it.
"That's not big enough to hold
all of us, especially when we're
moving around," said Erin.
"No, but it'll give us rock at
our backs, and we can build
an awning over the front
for more room," said Kate.
"Good idea," said Brian.
"What else do we have?"
"I found some clay in
a low spot," said Aria.
"Great, we can use that
to hold rocks," said Brian.
"Start cutting branches too.
We've got maybe half an hour
before the storm gets here."
Daisy's cage went inside
the little cave, surrounded
by dried grass and so she'd
feel safe and have food.
Kate used brush to make
a roof inside the crack,
extending the cave area.
Branches and brush built
an awning over the front.
Clay and lichens plugged
smaller cracks in the rock.
Stones, held together with
more clay, created a firepit.
Evergreen boughs covered
with dried grasses and leaves
made a soft cushiony floor.
By the time the cousins could
hear the thunder approaching,
they had a snug little shelter.
Soon the rain bucketed down,
turning the awning into a waterfall.
No rain made it inside, though.
"Good job building the shelter,
everyone," said Erin. "It's nice."
They heated water for tea
as they watched the rain
pouring just outside.
The storm only lasted
about an hour, but it left
everything soaked, and
nobody wanted to hike
through soggy woods.
The cousins stepped out
to check the area and
the clearing sky above.
"Oh, look!" Aria said.
"There's a rainbow."
Far out over the desert,
the rain was still falling, but
the clouds had broken up
enough to let the sunlight
lance through in places.
A rainbow arched up
from the red earth
to touch the clouds.
"It's beautiful," Kate said.
"The place is magical."
"It really is," said Aria.
"I'm glad we got to see it."
"Let's gather more firewood
before dark," said Brian. "It'll
dry while we're burning what
we've already collected."
So they stocked up on
firewood, and also cut
sticks for cooking supper.
They put the dry sausages
on sticks to roast them.
Kate made a big batch
of dough. Some of it she
wrapped around the venison
to make sausage-in-a-bun.
Some she seasoned
with juniper berries and
cooked as savory biscuits.
The last of it she stuffed
with their few berries
and drizzled with honey
to make the dessert.
"This tastes so good,"
Brian said as he gnawed
on his sausage-in-a-bun.
"Hunger makes everything
taste better," said Erin.
"Hey, look, there's a light,"
Kate said, pointing to it.
"Full moon tonight,"
Aria said, getting up.
They looked out over
hills painted pink and
purple with twilight as
the moon rose huge and
bright above the slopes.
"Wow," said Erin. "That
paints quite a picture."
Even with the lanterns,
there was barely enough
light to draw, so ey had
to settle for a quick sketch.
After that, the cousins
retreated back inside
their shelter and then
settled down for the night.
Monday, August 11, 2014
The morning after the rain
was clear and cooler than
the day before, with no more
than a few fluffs of cloud above.
For breakfast they had biscuits
drizzled with honey glaze, and
oatmeal with trail mix stirred in.
"Today's a good day for a hike,
and we're not too far away
from base camp," said Brian.
"We should make it back,
as long as nothing else
decides to go haywire,"
Aria said, nibbling her lip.
"Yeah, we've already had
enough hay on this trip,
haven't we, Miss Daisy?"
said Kate, watching as
the rabbit grazed on
the end of her leash.
Daisy, who currently
had her mouth full,
didn't say anything,
but looked agreeable.
"The fire's out and
the shelter is clean,
in case anyone else
wants to use it later,"
Erin said. "Let's go."
Kate popped Daisy
back in her cage, then
stuffed in some grass
with the seedheads on it.
A short scouting sweep
turned up the main trail
again, and they set off.
A few lazy butterflies
drifted through the air,
searching for flowers.
"I wonder what's attracting
the butterflies," said Erin.
Aria checked her field guide
and said, "Tansyleaf aster,"
indicating the purple flowers
scattered across the ground.
"Bookhound," Erin chuckled.
"Yeah, my dad grows asters
at home and they're always
mobbed," Kate agreed.
They moved through
a stretch of forest,
then clambered over
the rugged red rocks.
Down the far side, slabs
turned into finer scree,
slippery underfoot and
tufted with stubborn grass
where the water collected
along the base of the rocks.
"Oh cool, a skeleton!" said Brian.
He scrambled down the slope
to examine it more closely.
The skull was complete,
along with most of the spine
and a few lingering ribs that
clutched at the rusty gravel.
The shoulders and forelegs
were long gone, but some of
the disjointed bones from
the hindlegs lay nearby.
"Bighorn sheep," Erin said,
indicating the curved horns.
"Cracked skull," Aria added,
leaning over to look at it.
"Check out these marks,"
Kate said as she crouched
over the white leg bones.
"Mountain lion, maybe?"
"Probably not," said Aria.
"Big predators like that or
wolves would have gnawed
and cracked the bones to get
all the tasty marrow out."
"Then what ate the sheep?"
Kate wondered. "There's
not much of this left."
"If it died from a fall or
something like that, then
medium-sized predators
like coyotes, foxes, skunks,
and raccoons could have
scavenged the carcass,"
said Aria. "Those can
clean up most remains."
"I still think the skeleton
is cool," said Brian.
Erin paused to sketch
the arching spine and
weatherbeaten skull.
When ey finished,
the cousins moved on.
Farther down, the slope
flattened out more and
waves of grass appeared.
A hawk circled overhead
with a long, shrill cry.
Trees sprang up where
low areas in the rocky soil
collected more water for them.
The RangerCom whistled.
"I see another cairn,"
Erin said, trotting ahead.
Ey boosted Aria up the tree
to reach the hidden cache.
"Thanks Erin, you're as
sturdy as a treestump,"
Aria said as she got down.
Erin opened up the canister
and they marked the logbooks.
"What does the message say
this time?" Brian wondered.
"Rohirrim allies have asked
for news about wild horses,"
Erin read. "Bonus points for
reports written in Rohirric."
"That leaves me out,"
said Aria. "It's not one
of the languages I know."
"Yeah, none of us have
learned that one," said Kate.
"We've already got plenty of
bonus points from earlier reports
in Sindarin and Khuzdul. We'll
do these in English," said Brian.
"So, we're looking for wild horses
or any sign of them," said Aria.
"Everyone look around at where
we are now, get your bearings,
and note landmarks. We need
to be able to get back here
and return to our course."
They all turned in place,
finding the directions and
noting the positions of hills,
rock outcrops, and tree groves.
"Or we could just do this," Erin said,
and plopped another rock on the pile
that ey was building. "Mark our place."
"Good idea," said Brian, and fetched
more rocks to add to eir collection.
Then everyone fanned out to look
for wild horses or any sign of them.
"We need a vantage point," said Aria.
"That would let us see farther."
"The trees here are too scrubby,"
said Erin. "The branches would
block most of the view there."
"We could climb the rocks,"
said Brian. "Well, maybe ...
these ones look kind of loose."
Kate passed Daisy to Aria. "Lift
me up, longshanks," she said, and
Brian put her on his shoulders.
"I don't see any wild horses."
"They must spend a lot of
time here, though," said Aria.
"This is good habitat for
grazers of any kind."
As they searched,
they began to find
signs left behind.
Here the grass had
been eaten away.
There was a tuft of
horsehair caught on
a back-scratching rock.
"Look, hoofprints," said Erin,
pointing to a faint line of them.
They were barefoot, clearly
from wild horses rather than
a horseback tour, the details
flattened by heavy wear on
the rocky desert terrain.
"These look pretty fresh,"
said Aria. "We could follow
them for a bit to see if we
can spot the horse herd."
Suddenly Daisy froze.
"Yeah, no, something
just spooked Daisy,"
Kate pointed out.
"Maybe we should
call you Rabbit, you're
as fast and alert as
Daisy," said Brian.
Aria looked around
and saw a shadow
slinking between trees,
then another, and another.
"Over there," she whispered.
"Wolves, tracking the horses.
They're crepuscular, and it's
still pretty early in the morning.
"Let's get out of their way,"
Kate said, backing up.
"Yeah, but I'm going
to write 'em up as
wargs," Brian said.
Erin laughed. "You
do that," ey said.
The wolves were
much more interested
in the horse tracks than
they were in the humans,
and ignored their departure.
The cousins had no trouble
finding their way back to
the cairn that marked
their place on the trail.
As they hiked onward,
they came over a rise.
Below them stretched
another expanse of grass
and then a line of green trees.
"That looks familiar," Kate said,
raising a hand to shade her eyes.
"I bet that's the creek that runs
behind base camp," said Brian.
"It looks different from this direction,
but the position is about right for it."
"Yeah, that's it," Erin confirmed.
"I looked back as we were
climbing up the slopes
the other day, so that
I could recognize it
easier from this side."
"That's brilliant," said Aria.
"We should remember that."
Kate sighed. "But this means
that our trip is almost over."
"Yeah," Brian said, looking
glum. "I'll miss you so much."
This summer program was
the last time that they would
all be together for months.
The cousins had grown up
together, rarely apart for
very long, and sharing
all kinds of adventures.
Now, though, they were
about to go separate ways.
Brian was headed to Stanford
to study computer science,
sociology, and Earth systems.
He had already signed up for
the sustainable investment club.
That would open up all kinds of
job options after graduation.
Erin was scheduled to take
an Alexandrian Year focusing
on history, traditional skills, and
the people just behind the stories
in early American settlement.
Traveling from library to library
would offer lots of opportunities.
Ey didn't have any specific plans
after that program yet, but might
find inspiration along the way.
Kate planned to volunteer at
Handymen for Humanity, hoping
to learn enough that she could
set up as a handywoman later.
People would always need
someone for home repairs
or other practical projects.
Aria would be taking part in
Many Paths Up the Mountain,
a personal development program
with a spiritual and philosophic
approach to experiences.
She hoped to become
an interfaith chaplain.
They all had places
to go and things to do,
and they were excited,
but also sad to be parting.
Aria pulled them all into a hug.
"This isn't the end," she insisted.
"It's just the beginning. Whatever
happens, we'll all keep in touch."
"Yeah," said Erin. "We'll meet up
after our programs and then we'll
have more adventures together."
Brian sniffled a bit. "Then let's
get down to base camp and
find out if we're going to be
real rangers from now on."
"Woohoo!" Kate scampered
down the slope, and the rest
of them followed after her.
The grass here was short
but thicker than what was
growing at higher levels.
Pretty pink heads of
Geyer's onion appeared,
becoming denser as they
grew closer to the creek.
The barely-visible route
turned into a clear trail
through the grasses
and the wildflowers.
It led to a break in
the bushes and trees.
Picking up speed, eager
to reach the base camp,
they trotted down the trail.
Juniper titmice twittered
as they flew out of the way,
while scrub jays just fluttered
higher overhead and shrieked
at the returning company.
Alerted by the birds,
Flicker popped out of
her tent to greet them
all with a broad grin.
Kate held up the cage
with the white rabbit in it.
"Miss Daisy Proudfoot
returns triumphant from
her quest to recover
the Harvest Carrot!"
she proclaimed, and
produced the treasure.
"Congratulations, people,"
said Flicker. She waved at
the nearby table. "Please
return Daisy to her home,
then present your knives,
RangerCom, treasure,
and personal logbooks."
Kate put Daisy back into
the big hutch alongside
several other rabbits.
Then everyone placed
their things on the table,
including the Harvest Carrot
and the message pouch that
they'd found across the river.
"Sit down and grab a snack
if you want," Flicker invited.
The cousins were all tired,
so they flopped right into
camp chairs and then took
advantage of the snacks.
There was a big basket of
apples, while another held
homemade protein bars
topped with chocolate.
Flicker checked the knives
first, making sure that they
were all clean and sharp.
Then she connected
the RangerCom with
her tablet computer
to scan its records.
She took note of
the Harvest Carrot
and put that away.
"Message from our ally
says they're planning
to install a new well
and spigot for hikers,"
Flicker announced.
She looked through
their personal logbooks.
"For now, I'm just marking
the caches you found along
your route, and skimming
the reports which I will read
in more detail later," she said.
The cousins waited nervously
for her to make a judgment.
In her hutch, Daisy applied
herself to her hayrack and
calmly ignored everything.
"Front and center, folks,"
Flicker said, beckoning.
They lined up at the table,
trying hard not to fidget.
"You returned on time, with
your hobbit alive and well,
your gear in good shape, and
the Harvest Carrot in hand,"
said Flicker. "Congratulations,
rangers, you pass the test."
"Yes!" Brian exclaimed,
and punched the air.
"Take up your knives,"
Flicker invited, and they
reclaimed theirs "Have you
chosen your ranger names?"
"I'm Longshanks," said Brian,
and his cousins all laughed.
"Well chosen," said Erin.
"My name is Treestump."
"Rabbit," Kate declared.
"Daisy really helped us
think about safety, so
I want to honor that."
"I'm Bookhound,"
said Aria. "I used
my field guides a lot,
and that information
has proved very helpful."
"Longshanks, Treestump,
Rabbit, and Bookhound,
welcome to the Rangers
of the West!" said Flicker.
"May you live strong, walk
tall, and fight against evil
wherever your path may
take you from this day on."
The Harvest Carrot Quest
might be over, but they would
carry the memory of this trip
as they stepped into the future.
They would stay in touch, but it
was time to go wandering and see
what good they could do in the world.
That was what rangers were for.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character (Part 1: Cousins, Part 2: Flicker), location, and content notes appear separately.
"Some Still Go Wandering"
[Saturday, August 9, 2014]
Aria Thompson was so excited
that she could hardly stand still.
Her older cousins were all
in much the same state.
Kate was tapping her foot
against a rock on the ground,
and Brian was flicking his fingers
as if typing something against
his thigh. Only Erin was still,
bur eir brown eyes sparkled.
The four of them had graduated
from high school in the spring.
Then they had spent most of
the summer going through
There and Back Again in
the Rangers of the West,
learning about all kinds of
woodslore and survival skills.
Their path had followed part
of the Hayduke Trail, starting
not far from their home in Moab
with Arches National Park, through
Canyonlands National Park and
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
to end with Mount Ellen National Park.
Now they were ready for the final test.
"Are you nervous?" Brian asked.
"Because I'm freaking out a bit."
"Yeah, me too," Aria admitted.
"It's fun, but kind of daunting."
"I'm about to vibrate out of
my hiking boots," said Kate.
"We'll do fine," Erin said.
"We've all practiced for this.
We're as ready as we can be."
Their mentor was a tall woman
called Flicker, who laid out
a roll of leather on a rock.
For each of her students,
she presented a knife,
long and keen, along with
a mottled leather sheath.
"These blades were forged
by rangers," said Flicker.
"Few now remember them,
yet still some go wandering,
descendants of ancient kings
walking alone and fearless,
guarding heedless people from
evil things and other dangers."
"Don't pet the fluffy cows,"
Brian muttered. Yeah, they
had all seen the park signs
warning tourists not to bother
the Henry Mountains buffalo.
"Carry these ranger knives in
good hope," Flicker continued.
"If you pass the tests, then
they will be yours to keep."
Aria accepted hers, feeling
the heft of the great blade
with its grippy antler handle.
The pommel was slanted, but
had a little hammer-tap plate so
the knife could be used as an awl,
and the back of the blade above
the fuller was similarly flattened.
"So, can we use these on the trail
for hunting and such?" said Erin.
"You have your basic trail rations,
bedrolls, and other essential supplies,"
said Flicker. "As part of this excursion,
you may freely forage for edible plants,
water, and other natural resources. You
may catch fish, birds, and small game
but may not hunt for large game."
"The land's too dry to support
much hunting," Aria said, nodding.
"There are trees and creeks, but
not much food or cover for game.
We'll have to go mindfully."
"Your route will take you
through Bull Creek Pass
and out to the Fremont River,
along the far side of Mount Ellen,
down the Crescent Creek Junction,
and back to camp," Flicker said.
"It will be your free choice when
to climb the South Summit Ridge."
"Coming or going," Erin said, and
began to sketch a map of the route.
"That will depend on the weather,"
said Kate, "or maybe where the path
leads us, if it's even marked here."
Much of the Hayduke Trail was
not carefully constructed trails, but
rather road shoulders and game tracks
or even just thataway across the desert.
Aria found that boundless freedom to be
equal parts daunting and exhilarating.
"Other rangers have left some clues for
you to follow," said Flicker. She held up
a genuine RangerCom. "This Wizard stone
will sometimes guide you toward resources
or warn you about nearby dangers."
Aria could see that it had been locked
to beacon and emergency functions only,
so they couldn't use it to navigate, but it'd
alert them to preset beacons -- if they got
close enough -- relay warnings for fires
or tornadoes, and let them call for help.
"So is that it?" said Brian. "We just go
out and back, and then we're rangers?"
"The route is known, but the wilderness
is never entirely safe," Flicker warned them.
"You will find both obstacles and opportunities
along the way. Your company has four days
to complete the route. Most groups do it in
two days with one overnight, or three days
with two overnights, but you have flexibility."
"Then let's get going," said Erin, shifting
eir pack on eir broad shoulders. "It's
a long way, and we're burning daylight."
"You'll need one more thing for your trip,"
Flicker said, and produced a white rabbit.
"Meet your hobbit, Miss Daisy Proudfoot."
The cousins all laughed, but Flicker
wasn't laughing, and even Daisy
somehow managed to look serious.
"Daisy quests to find the Harvest Carrot
stolen from Hobbiton, whose enchantment
supports the abundant crops of the Shire,"
Flicker went on. "Your mission is to take
her to the peak of Mount Ellen, retrieve
the treasure there, and return safely.
If you succeed in the quest, then you
will become Rangers of the West."
"You want us to summit with a rabbit?"
Brian squawked. "Are you nuts?
She'll attract every coyote, wolf,
and mountain lion from across
the whole Henry Mountains!"
"It's your job as Rangers to protect
the helpless in the wilderness,"
Flicker said. "Instead of arguing
over why they should not go, think
about how to safeguard them."
"Wait, rabbits aren't helpless,
they have all kinds of defenses,"
said Erin. "They're fast and agile."
"Hobbits are gentle creatures
from safe homes," said Flicker.
"They may have a few surprises,
but nothing in their upbringing
has prepared them for danger."
"Hutch rabbit," muttered Aria.
"I'll take the hobbit," Kate said,
holding out her hands, and
Flicker gave Daisy into her care.
"I just hope that this excursion
doesn't end with disaster."
"Of course, in dire emergency,
you may call on the Eagles
for assistance," Flicker said,
handing Aria the RangerCom.
The last thing anyone wanted
was getting in so much trouble
that they needed a helicopter.
"Thanks," said Aria. "We'll
try very hard to avoid that."
First they had to find a way
to keep Daisy safe and secure.
Aria and Kate dug up long roots
from spruce trees to construct
a leash and halter for Daisy.
Brian and Erin cut branches
to make a cage that the rabbit
couldn't chew through quickly.
Then they set off on their quest.
Kate and Aria started off carrying
the rabbit cage between them, so
nobody risked getting rabbit pellets
sprinkled over their backpacks.
The cousins quickly discovered that,
while the route was marked with
ranger signs, they were not
all the same kind of signs.
Here a tuft of grass had
been tied to show the way,
there sticks made an arrow,
and in other places rocks of
distinctive colors were piled.
Everyone had to keep
a sharp eye out for signs.
They didn't want to miss
any of the opportunities or
warnings along the route --
although it was possible
that some could be laid
along alternate paths.
The Wizard stone would
alert them if they got close
to a beacon, but they didn't
know its exact signal range.
Where the road wrapped around
a steep hill, a burned area came
into view with blackened trees.
The RangerCom whistled at them.
Aria used it to locate a geocache
wedged in the crack of a tree.
"Do we climb up and take it
down to open?" said Kate.
"No, a burned tree might not
hold that much weight, so it's
not safe," said Erin. "We can
lift a lighter person to reach it."
So Brian and Erin boosted
Aria up to grab the cache
and hand it down to Kate.
Inside the canister, they
found a logbook, a stamp,
and a folded message.
They signed the logbook,
with Kate adding below hers,
and Miss Daisy Proudfoot.
Then they used the stamp
to mark their personal logbooks.
Aria unfolded the note and read,
"Orcs have burned part of the forest.
You judge it safe to observe for
no more than one hour, in attempt
to find how long ago this happened,
that you may report it to elvish allies.
Bonus points for any ranger reports
written in Sindarin and/or Quenya."
Brian looked up, then down. "Well,
the trees are dead, but I don't see
fresh ash or charcoal," he said. "So
it's been at least several weeks,
and probably longer than that."
"I hear birds singing," Aria said,
cocking her head. "Insects too."
"This part of the forest looks like
it was piñon-juniper before the fire,"
said Kate. "Those are easily killed,
and they only recolonize from seeds."
"There a few evergreen seedlings,
but they're tiny," said Erin. "Most of
what I see is grass and wildflowers."
"There's brush growing over here,
a thicket," Kate said, pointing.
"Wild raspberries," said Aria.
"Let me check my field guide
and see what else I can identify."
"You brought a field guide with you?"
Brian said. "Books are awful heavy."
"Well, it's paying for itself now,"
Aria said tartly. "You're welcome."
There were, indeed, baby pines
and junipers but most of the cover
consisted of various grasses and
wildflowers like Indian paintbrush.
Bushes included gooseberries
and currents in far-flung patches.
They also found thickets of
chokecherry and wild plum
starting up in a few places.
None of it reached more than
hip-high, though, and most of it
came no more than knee-high.
"There's enough greenery to say
this didn't happen recently when
it was too dry to support regrowth,"
said Kate. "Spring maybe, but it
could have happened last year."
"Yeah, I'd say between three
and twelve months," said Aria.
They all began making notes and
sketches to put in their ranger reports.
Daisy's "report" consisted of letting her
out of the cage to forage on the leash,
then observing that she seemed calm
with no sign of detecting any threats.
Everyone wrote in Sindarin, except
for Aria who did hers in Quenya.
They had no trouble replacing
the cache in the tree and getting
out within the allotted timeframe.
As they hiked, they watched
the sky for signs of the weather
changing, but it seemed fine.
They kept track of wildlife
that they spotted, too.
Often they startled
jackrabbits by the trail,
and occasionally they
saw mountain cottontails.
Once they spied a small herd
of pronghorn antelope far away.
Lizards darted among the rocks,
often too fast to identify them.
Woodpeckers drummed in
the trees overhead, probably
hairy woodpeckers or maybe
red-naped sapsuckers.
High above, vultures and
golden eagles rode the wind.
From time to time, the cousins
stopped for a rest break.
They nibbled trail rations
of dried fruit, nuts, and jerky
washed down with water
from their canteens.
Whenever they stopped,
they put Daisy on the leash
and let her nibble the grasses
or wildflowers along the path.
As they came to an old clearcut,
the RangerCom whistled again.
After a few minutes of searching,
Erin found the canister tucked
inside of a gnarled stump.
"This area has been ravaged
by orcs some time ago," ey read.
"You judge it safe to observe for
about two hours, to determine
how well it is recovering, so that
you may report it to elvish allies.
Bonus points for any ranger reports
written in Sindarin and/or Quenya."
They went through the routine of
marking all the logbooks, then
put the canister back in place.
"Okay, let's fan out and see what
we can find here," Brian suggested.
The slope was mostly barren or
covered in yellowing grasses.
Here and there, large stumps
or twisted trunks jutted up, wood
that had been too tangled to harvest.
Tufts of green showed where seeds
had yielded piñon or juniper sprouts.
The tallest of them were shoulder-high
already, so this must have happened
years ago, allowing time to regrow.
The area still looked nothing like
the healthy green forest that they
could see toward the edge, though.
"Hey, look what Daisy found," said Kate,
and they all hurried over to check it out.
The rabbit was eagerly devouring a patch
of green grass and wildflowers that grew
beside a big, split trunk. Not far away,
a young piñon rose fat and round.
"We've checked several large stumps
or logs, and they seem to host more of
the regrowth than anywhere else does,"
Kate said, pointing. "Something about
them is helping other things grow."
"Like nurse logs in the northwest,
maybe?" said Aria. "The details
are different, but we're still seeing
young trees and other plants growing
better on or near the old, fallen logs."
"Definitely make a note of that,"
said Erin. "Maybe someone could
come add brushpiles here to help
the ecosystem recover faster."
Again, they wrote their reports in
Sindarin or Quenya, but this time
they gave Daisy credit for making
the most interesting discovery.
The cousins moved on, but
near the bottom of the clearcut,
they came to a wide, high pile
of trunks and branches that
twisted together in a barrier.
"Erosion mitigation," Kate said
with a sigh. "See how it follows
the contour line of the hill to block
water from running straight down it?"
"Going around that could waste hours,
and I don't see a break," said Brian.
"We're not supposed to go around it,"
Erin said grimly, pointing to a sign.
"We're supposed to go over it."
Aria looked and saw two sticks
parallel to the logjam with an arrow
of sticks pointing straight across.
This way over obstacles, it meant.
Brian groaned. "What a pain,"
he said. "It's taller than we are."
"We've dealt with big piles of wood
before," said Kate. "Remember
a few years ago when that storm
blew down a bunch of trees, and
we all had to help clear them?
This is no worse than that."
"Yeah, but we don't have
chainsaws," Erin pointed out.
"We'll manage," Brian said,
and gamely mounted the pile.
A branch snapped under his foot,
sending him back to the ground.
"I'm light," said Aria. "Let me see
if I can scout a path over, then we
can help the heavier people up."
She put on gloves to protect
her hands, then scrambled up
the dense tangle of dead wood.
It was slow, hard going because
she had to keep testing handholds
and footholds as she went along.
Sometimes the branches started
to shift under her weight, forcing
her to back off and try to find
a different path over them.
Eventually, Aria found a route
that all of them could follow.
She marked it with swift strokes
of her ranger knife, and hoped
that she would get to keep it.
Her cousins picked their way
over the logjam, passing Daisy
from person to person so that
nobody had to climb far while
lugging her cage along too.
Finally they came down
the far side of the pile
into a knee-high band of
grasses dotted with bunches
of common globemallow
waving its orange flowers.
Beyond that, the stretch
of piñon-juniper resumed.
The trees weren't very tall, but
they provided welcome shade.
As the cousins passed under
the boughs of the thriving forest,
everyone took a deep breath
of the sweet, resinous air.
"It smells so alive in here,"
Kate said. "I love this place."
The forest sounded alive, too --
Abert's squirrels scolded them,
lashing their fluffy white tails,
while cliff chipmunks whistled
from every outcropping of rocks.
From all sides came the twittering
of juniper titmice and screaming of
scrub jays, along with the laughter
of the piñon jays in the branches.
"The cones are almost ripe, but
still closed," Aria observed, trailing
her fingers along fragrant twigs.
"Let's pick a few for Daisy,"
Kate suggested. "If squirrels
and chipmunks are pigging out
already, she'll probably love them."
So Aria dropped her pack and
climbed up to collect some of
the heavy cones for Daisy, who
made short work of gnawing
through the tough scales to get
at the sweet, tender pine nuts.
As the cousins continued on,
they heard ravens shrieking
and saw them dive-bombing
something in a nearby tree.
"Look, it's a young bald eagle,"
Erin said, pointing. The head was
a light brown flecked with white.
"No wonder the ravens are all
freaking out," said Brian.
"Let's go, Daisy doesn't
like it here," said Kate.
So they headed out of
the forest into scrubland.
"What do you think, summit
on the way out or way back?"
Erin said, looking up toward
the ridge of Mount Ellen.
"Way back," Brian said.
"The more we scout around,
the more practice we get
with this landscape."
"Good point," Erin said.
"Let's not be hasty. We
have four days out here,
in case we need them."
They found a dry wash
that was, at the moment,
actually dry but could flood
with very little warning during
Utah's late-summer monsoon.
"I'll keep watch while the rest
of you cross," Brian said,
bounding to a high rock.
"Kate, you take Daisy
and go first," Erin urged.
Aria soon followed Kate,
but then something
snagged her attention.
"Look, a mule deer fawn,"
she said, pointing. It was
tiny, curled among the rocks
where its dappled coat made
it seem almost invisible.
"That is way out of season,"
Kate said, looking down from
the far bank of the wash.
"Sometimes deer breed
out of season, especially
if they lose the first fawn,"
Aria said. "It happens."
"Well, we can't leave it
there, it's liable to drown
whenever the rain comes,"
said Erin. "Grab it quick
and boost it up the bank."
Aria covered the fawn
with her jacket so it was
less likely to panic and flail.
Then she quickly passed it
up the bank to Kate's hands.
Kate found a high and dry spot
to leave the fawn in the shelter
of an overhanging rock pile.
Beyond the scrub, a long stretch
of rocky terrain dotted with weeds
and stray brush led down toward
the green line of trees that hid
the waters of the Fremont River.
That marked the boundary of
Mount Ellen National Park, but
that was okay because an ally
owned the land across the river.
When they reached the Fremont,
though, another surprise waited.
"Seriously?" Brian said, kicking
sand over the sticks that formed
several wavy lines with an arrow
pointing directly toward the river.
This way over water. "They want
us to cross over a river in August?
Without a bridge or even a raft?"
"Well, obviously not that way,"
Erin said, pointing to a sheer cliff
that rose above the far side of
the river just west of where they
stood. "Northeast looks doable."
"If it doesn't flood," said Brian.
He turned to check the sky.
"Water's clear, so let's get
while the getting's good,"
Kate said briskly, changing
into her wading sandals.
"Hold hands at least,"
said Brian. "We can
keep each other steady
if the footing is unstable."
That helped a lot, especially
for the shorter members of
the company for whom
the water was knee-deep
instead of merely calf-deep.
They all reached the far side
and began scouting around
in search of further signs.
The RangerCom whistled,
which led them to a cairn.
"Message pouch from
our ally to base camp,"
Erin said, holding it up.
"There's also a note
that's meant for us."
Kate read the note.
"It says that we should
cross back over the river,
then head east until we find
the big rock outcropping."
Everyone groaned, but
they slogged across
the river and followed
the directions given.
"There it is," Brian said,
pointing to a hump of
slightly purplish rock
that rose well above
the flat floodplains.
As they drew closer,
they realized that part of
the outcropping hung over
the ground with enough room
to fit everyone underneath.
A U-shaped mark on the rock
meant, You may camp here.
"We have enough daylight left
to gather firewood and forage
some food," said Erin. "I don't
know about you, but I want fish."
Everyone cheered this idea,
so they stashed Daisy's cage
safely under the overhang
with some cut grass for her.
Aria flopped down on a log
that stretched into the river,
located a trout hiding in
the shade, and carefully
tickled it out of the water.
Kate found a sturdy bone
on the bank and made
a gorge hook, which soon
caught a fish. She also
foraged a few wild onions
that would add extra flavor.
Erin set about making
a basket trap, while Brian
favored a fishing spear.
Those took longer,
but also worked -- and
Erin's basket trap could be
left overnight so they might
also have fish for breakfast.
The cousins gathered firewood
and cooked their fish, along
with a bit of their trail rations.
They made sure that Daisy
had enough food and water.
Then they bedded down for
the night in their cozy camp
under the overhang that held
the day's heat in the cold dark.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
The morning dawned clear
and calm, already warm.
Erin checked eir trap and
whooped. "I caught six fish!"
"Big or little?" Brian asked as
he looked over her shoulder.
"Mix of both," said Erin. "I
think I'll clean 'em all and
we can share out the extra."
"Leave the scraps over on
that flat rock," Aria suggested.
"I've seen a fledgling eagle who
could probably use breakfast."
The fish cooked up quick enough,
and they had a bit of oatmeal too.
While they ate, they let Daisy
out on her leash so she could
nibble on the nearby plants.
Soon the cousins broke camp
and set off toward Mount Ellen.
After a bit of searching, they
found pebbles pointing the way.
The trail led into the forest again,
this stretch of it a little more lush
with trees twenty to thirty feet tall.
Then they ran into the ropes.
"What the hell is all this?"
Brian said, staring at the mess.
"I don't know, it looks like --"
Aria began, but the RangerCom
whistled. "Maybe this will tell."
The cache was wedged into
the fork of a short juniper tree.
"Giant spiders have nested
in the forest here," Erin read.
"Avoid them by climbing over,
under, or through the webs
without touching the strands.
Green ropes have been left
by other rangers to provide
safe passage in some places."
Paper rustled as ey unfolded
another page. "There's a map
that shows the rope course,
and where to do which things."
"At least it's not a high course,"
Kate said cheerfully. "It's not even
far enough off the ground to need
safety harnesses, and everywhere
that says to go over has a cargo net
underneath to break any falls."
"Yeah no, I do not want to find out
what happens if we touch the rope,"
Brian said, shaking his head.
They signed the logbook,
stamped their personal ones,
then frowned at the ropes.
"We can do this," said Aria.
"We have gotten through
worse obstacle courses than
this one. Remember last year
when you wanted to try out
the Grubstakes and we all
teamed up with you?"
"Okay, that was worse,"
Brian admitted. "Let's go."
It was still pretty rough.
They had to take off and
drag their packs to crawl
under the low webs, and
pass Daisy hand to hand.
In other places, they needed
to climb through holes in webs.
Another stretch required them
to clamber from tree to tree so
as to avoid the white webs
stretching underneath.
Then disaster struck.
Erin slipped just enough
to touch one white strand.
Something huge plummeted
out of the trees above them.
Aria screamed and bolted
off the end of the obstacle.
Daisy freaked out inside
her cage, causing Kate
to lose her balance and
bash into the next tree.
Swearing, Brian managed
to get everyone down off
of the obstacle and back
onto solid ground again.
They all gazed up at
the enormous fake spider
that dangled overhead,
pool noodle legs flopping.
The body appeared to be
made of black garbage bags.
"That thing almost gave me
a heart attack," Aria complained.
"Yeah, that sucked," said Brian.
"Hey Kate, are you all right? I
saw you hit that tree, and you
look like you're limping a bit."
"I'm fine, I just picked up
some scrapes and bruises,"
said Kate. "Daisy's upset."
The poor rabbit was still
thumping around her cage.
"Okay, let's put Daisy on
the ground, she'll feel
more secure that way,"
Erin said, taking the cage.
"I'll find some plants for
Daisy to eat," said Aria.
"Kate, sit down on this log
and let me see your legs,"
Brian said, beckoning.
Sturdy hiking boots had
protected her feet and
ankles, but above those,
her calves bore patches
of deep, messy scrapes.
"Here's a first aid kit,"
Erin said, offering eirs.
"Thanks," said Brian. "We
need to clean these up."
It took a few minutes
to pick off all the bits of
bark, apply the GatorSkin,
and wait for that to dry in
swaths of leathery green.
"All right, try standing up,
carefully," Brian coaxed.
"I'm fine, really," Kate said
as she got up. "I didn't
twist or sprain anything."
"Still, let me carry Daisy
for a while," said Aria.
"How much is left of
the webs?" said Kate.
"There's a section where
we have to dismantle a set
of disconnected webs by
untying knots," said Erin.
"I can do some of those."
"You get the low ones and
I'll go high," said Brian.
They needed half an hour
to clear the trail of webs.
"Last obstacle ... yikes,"
Kate said, looking at
the steep little gully
that was spanned by
three green ropes.
"It's a ranger bridge,"
Aria said, daunted.
"Better than no bridge
at all," Erin said firmly.
"I've done these before,"
said Brian. "Here, let
me take Daisy across."
Aria passed him the cage
with its now calmer rabbit,
then carefully edged over
the gully on the ropes.
At last they all made it
safely to the other side.
"I'm glad that's over,"
Kate said. "That gully
was just nerve-wracking."
The cousins checked again
to make sure everyone was
okay to keep climbing.
Then they headed up
toward Mount Ellen.
The sun shone bright
and they made good time.
Presently the forest let out
into a broad expanse of
raw red rock dotted with
hardy desert plants such as
sagebrush and tumbleweeds.
In some places, prince's plume
put up big yellow flowerstalks.
A gaping hole in the hillside was
framed by weathered timbers.
The RangerCom whistled, and
everyone searched around until
they found the cache in a cairn.
"This old mining area belonged
to dwarves, whose activities have
left the ground in poor condition.
The surface is safe to study freely
before making reports to your allies,
though dwarves recommend against
going deep into the mine," read Aria.
"Bonus points for reports written
in either Sindarin or Khuzdul."
"Oh, I'm doing mine in Khuzdul,"
Erin said happily. Ey sat down
near the mine and began
to sketch the entrance.
They let Daisy out on
her leash, but she just
turned up her nose at
the dusty, scruffy plants.
Brian scrambled over
the rocks, noting
their condition.
Kate and Aria
examined the soil,
what there was of it.
In many places, it had
been stripped away,
leaving only subsoil
or even bare bedrock.
Kate poked at a sprig
of pale evening primrose
growing in a rock crack.
"There's a little dirt collected
in this crack, just enough for
the plant to grow," she said.
Aria pointed to the line of
rabbit pellets behind Daisy.
"There are cracks everywhere,"
she said. "What if we stuffed
them with manure? That would
help more plants grow, and it'd
be faster and easier than trying
to replace the soil all over here."
"That's a great idea," said Kate.
"We can start where we are."
She used a tuft of dead grass
to sweep the fresh rabbit pellets
onto a leaf. Then she tipped
them down a crack in the rock.
Meanwhile Brian was prodding
at some white streaks on the rock.
"Look at this," he said. "I think it
could be guano. There seem
to be bats roosting in the mine."
"I've read about that," said Aria.
"Several species of cave bats have
taken up roosting in abandoned mines,
which helps buffer their habitat loss."
"What kind of bats?" said Kate.
"We have a lot of them in Utah."
"Probably big brown bats or
pallid bats," said Erin. "It could
be any of a dozen others, though."
"We should get someone here
to study the bats," said Brian.
"Put that in your report," said Erin.
"We don't have the equipment
to study the bats in detail today,
but we can ask someone else
to come investigate them later."
When they finished their reports,
they put Daisy back in her cage.
Brian shaded his eyes and looked
up at Mount Ellen rising above them.
"It looks clear," he said. "Summit today?"
"Yeah, we've got time," Erin agreed.
"Let's get the company moving."
They searched around until
they found a ranger sign for
a trail going the right direction.
It was a long, arduous climb
to the South Summit Ridge.
They had to navigate around
scree too loose to cross and
splits too wide to jump over.
They had some climbing gear,
but not the kind designed
to do high-level climbing.
Mostly they just hiked,
or scrambled over piles
of big tumbled boulders.
On the talus slopes, pikas
chirped and squeaked.
The RangerCom chimed.
"That's a new sound," Erin said,
looking at Aria. "Not a cache?"
"It's a tracking signal," said Aria.
"If we go in the right direction,
it will lead us along a trail."
"I thought it was locked out
of navigation," said Brian.
"It is, so we can't use it
the usual way, but it can
still read various beacons,"
Aria said. "Think of this
like a trail of breadcrumbs."
Brian looked at the rocky land.
"Yeah, it would be hard to leave
the usual signs around here."
Aria went in wide, looping circles
until she determined the direction,
then led everyone along the trail
as she followed the chimes.
In a big cairn they found
a large canister that
contained a logbook,
a stamp, the treasure,
and a folded message.
"Omigosh, that is so cute,"
Kate exclaimed as she
picked up the treasure.
The hand-sized carrot
had been carved from
orange and green calcite
with tiny eyes of black onyx.
"Look, Daisy, we've found
your stolen artifact and
saved Hobbiton!" said Erin.
"What does the message
say?" Brian asked Aria.
"Congratulations, rangers,"
she read. "You have completed
the key part of your mission. Take
a little time to rest and enjoy the view
from the heights. Have a safe trip home."
They all turned around to look out over
the foothills draped with gray-green trees,
and farther away, the stepped terrain
of mesas, badlands, and red desert
that stretched to the horizon.
"I want to do some sketching,"
Erin said, taking out eir logbook.
"Good idea," Kate agreed. So
they drew or wrote as they rested.
Eventually Brian led them back
down the rugged slopes, and
they turned toward base camp.
Once while climbing down,
they startled a herd of
bighorn sheep, who
bounced away across
the sheer face of a cliff.
"They're so strong and
beautiful," Erin breathed.
After a while, they made it
into the scrubland between
the bare summit and the woods.
They came across a berry patch with
tangles of green-gold gooseberries
and black raspberries that gleamed
like jewels in the summer sun.
"Hello, supper dessert!"
Kate exclaimed, and they
all spread out to start picking.
A few berries and handfuls
of fresh green leaves went
to the enthusiastic Daisy.
Then the wind shifted,
and the rabbit froze.
"Uh, guys?" Kate said.
"Daisy just got scared."
A black bear rose up from
the middle of the patch and
made a querulous noise.
"Excuse us," Aria said.
"We didn't know this patch
was already taken. We'll
get out of your way now."
The cousins backed up,
then began edging around
the expanse of berry bushes.
The bear huffed and dropped
back down onto all fours, then
resumed stuffing its face.
As they made it back into
the piñon-juniper woods,
Erin muttered, "Great, now
we're out of a food resource
and off the standard path."
"This isn't Mirkwood, though,"
said Kate. "We'll just search
as we head down, and probably
cross the trail again somewhere."
That was true. There weren't
a lot of great routes down, and
deer were lazy -- they'd find
the easy ways, so following
a game trail should eventually
lead to one of the hiking trails.
Before long, they came to
a place where the tree cover
thickened, and sure enough,
a thread of deer path wound
through the dense greenery.
They followed that to where
it opened into a stony glade.
Brian spotted a tiny spring
trickling from broken rock, and
wavy lines marked it as safe.
They all refilled their canteens,
then gave Daisy a drink too.
"With the spring marked,
there should be trail signs
nearby too," said Aria.
Where the glade met
the forest again, they
found a stack of rocks
marking the trail down.
"Yay, we found it again!"
Erin said, stepping forward.
A little farther downhill, Kate
spotted the circled X that meant
a good handout. "What's this?"
she asked, looking around.
"Could be another cache,"
Aria said, then searched until
the RangerCom whistled and
she found a metal box hidden
underneath the heavy rocks.
A combination lock held it shut,
but the numbers were written
on the front of the container.
"Bears can't read," Aria said
with a chuckle, and opened it.
Inside, the bear box held a pack
of dried venison sausages, another
of all-purpose baking mix, several
packs of dried fruit with nuts, and
a fist-sized jar of wildflower honey.
"Jackpot!" said Brian. "This will
be great for snacks on the trail."
"Or if we don't make it all the way
to base camp today," said Erin.
"We should be close enough
to make it back," said Brian.
"If nothing else goes wrong,"
Kate pointed out. "We've
had some distractions,
like that bear earlier."
"Yeah, good point,"
said Brian. "Best not
strip the box, though.
Take those sausages,
baking mix, honey, and
one pack of trail food each."
That made sense, because
there was no telling how much
traffic this trail got, or how often
someone refilled the food box.
So they replenished their supplies,
then relocked and covered the cache.
The cousins continued downward
through patches of forest and rocks.
One patch of dark green brush
held a few mule deer who bolted
away as the teens approached.
"Acorns," Kate said as she
examined the evidence.
"These are gambel oaks."
"Yeah, deer love acorns,"
said Erin. "They eat as
much as they can find."
"Not just deer," Aria said,
pointing to a wide patch of
disturbed ground. "Squirrels
have been digging here too."
"Make a note of the activity,"
said Brian. "It might be useful."
They paused to make sketches
and write in their logbooks.
Then they moved on through
a thinner stretch of trees.
When they crested a hill,
its bare rocky top gave
everyone a good view.
"Uh oh," said Erin. "We're
not making it back today."
"Why not?" Brian asked,
turning to look at em.
"There's a thunderstorm
towering up," Erin said,
pointing. "We can't
outrun those clouds."
Far on the horizon,
dark clouds jutted up.
They wouldn't stay far
for very long, though --
storms traveled fast.
"Fan out," said Brian.
"Look for shelter or things
we can use to build it quick."
The cousins scattered, staying
just within shouting range as
they looked for options in
the rocks and the trees.
"I found a little cave inside
this big split rock," Kate called,
and they gathered to look at it.
"That's not big enough to hold
all of us, especially when we're
moving around," said Erin.
"No, but it'll give us rock at
our backs, and we can build
an awning over the front
for more room," said Kate.
"Good idea," said Brian.
"What else do we have?"
"I found some clay in
a low spot," said Aria.
"Great, we can use that
to hold rocks," said Brian.
"Start cutting branches too.
We've got maybe half an hour
before the storm gets here."
Daisy's cage went inside
the little cave, surrounded
by dried grass and so she'd
feel safe and have food.
Kate used brush to make
a roof inside the crack,
extending the cave area.
Branches and brush built
an awning over the front.
Clay and lichens plugged
smaller cracks in the rock.
Stones, held together with
more clay, created a firepit.
Evergreen boughs covered
with dried grasses and leaves
made a soft cushiony floor.
By the time the cousins could
hear the thunder approaching,
they had a snug little shelter.
Soon the rain bucketed down,
turning the awning into a waterfall.
No rain made it inside, though.
"Good job building the shelter,
everyone," said Erin. "It's nice."
They heated water for tea
as they watched the rain
pouring just outside.
The storm only lasted
about an hour, but it left
everything soaked, and
nobody wanted to hike
through soggy woods.
The cousins stepped out
to check the area and
the clearing sky above.
"Oh, look!" Aria said.
"There's a rainbow."
Far out over the desert,
the rain was still falling, but
the clouds had broken up
enough to let the sunlight
lance through in places.
A rainbow arched up
from the red earth
to touch the clouds.
"It's beautiful," Kate said.
"The place is magical."
"It really is," said Aria.
"I'm glad we got to see it."
"Let's gather more firewood
before dark," said Brian. "It'll
dry while we're burning what
we've already collected."
So they stocked up on
firewood, and also cut
sticks for cooking supper.
They put the dry sausages
on sticks to roast them.
Kate made a big batch
of dough. Some of it she
wrapped around the venison
to make sausage-in-a-bun.
Some she seasoned
with juniper berries and
cooked as savory biscuits.
The last of it she stuffed
with their few berries
and drizzled with honey
to make the dessert.
"This tastes so good,"
Brian said as he gnawed
on his sausage-in-a-bun.
"Hunger makes everything
taste better," said Erin.
"Hey, look, there's a light,"
Kate said, pointing to it.
"Full moon tonight,"
Aria said, getting up.
They looked out over
hills painted pink and
purple with twilight as
the moon rose huge and
bright above the slopes.
"Wow," said Erin. "That
paints quite a picture."
Even with the lanterns,
there was barely enough
light to draw, so ey had
to settle for a quick sketch.
After that, the cousins
retreated back inside
their shelter and then
settled down for the night.
Monday, August 11, 2014
The morning after the rain
was clear and cooler than
the day before, with no more
than a few fluffs of cloud above.
For breakfast they had biscuits
drizzled with honey glaze, and
oatmeal with trail mix stirred in.
"Today's a good day for a hike,
and we're not too far away
from base camp," said Brian.
"We should make it back,
as long as nothing else
decides to go haywire,"
Aria said, nibbling her lip.
"Yeah, we've already had
enough hay on this trip,
haven't we, Miss Daisy?"
said Kate, watching as
the rabbit grazed on
the end of her leash.
Daisy, who currently
had her mouth full,
didn't say anything,
but looked agreeable.
"The fire's out and
the shelter is clean,
in case anyone else
wants to use it later,"
Erin said. "Let's go."
Kate popped Daisy
back in her cage, then
stuffed in some grass
with the seedheads on it.
A short scouting sweep
turned up the main trail
again, and they set off.
A few lazy butterflies
drifted through the air,
searching for flowers.
"I wonder what's attracting
the butterflies," said Erin.
Aria checked her field guide
and said, "Tansyleaf aster,"
indicating the purple flowers
scattered across the ground.
"Bookhound," Erin chuckled.
"Yeah, my dad grows asters
at home and they're always
mobbed," Kate agreed.
They moved through
a stretch of forest,
then clambered over
the rugged red rocks.
Down the far side, slabs
turned into finer scree,
slippery underfoot and
tufted with stubborn grass
where the water collected
along the base of the rocks.
"Oh cool, a skeleton!" said Brian.
He scrambled down the slope
to examine it more closely.
The skull was complete,
along with most of the spine
and a few lingering ribs that
clutched at the rusty gravel.
The shoulders and forelegs
were long gone, but some of
the disjointed bones from
the hindlegs lay nearby.
"Bighorn sheep," Erin said,
indicating the curved horns.
"Cracked skull," Aria added,
leaning over to look at it.
"Check out these marks,"
Kate said as she crouched
over the white leg bones.
"Mountain lion, maybe?"
"Probably not," said Aria.
"Big predators like that or
wolves would have gnawed
and cracked the bones to get
all the tasty marrow out."
"Then what ate the sheep?"
Kate wondered. "There's
not much of this left."
"If it died from a fall or
something like that, then
medium-sized predators
like coyotes, foxes, skunks,
and raccoons could have
scavenged the carcass,"
said Aria. "Those can
clean up most remains."
"I still think the skeleton
is cool," said Brian.
Erin paused to sketch
the arching spine and
weatherbeaten skull.
When ey finished,
the cousins moved on.
Farther down, the slope
flattened out more and
waves of grass appeared.
A hawk circled overhead
with a long, shrill cry.
Trees sprang up where
low areas in the rocky soil
collected more water for them.
The RangerCom whistled.
"I see another cairn,"
Erin said, trotting ahead.
Ey boosted Aria up the tree
to reach the hidden cache.
"Thanks Erin, you're as
sturdy as a treestump,"
Aria said as she got down.
Erin opened up the canister
and they marked the logbooks.
"What does the message say
this time?" Brian wondered.
"Rohirrim allies have asked
for news about wild horses,"
Erin read. "Bonus points for
reports written in Rohirric."
"That leaves me out,"
said Aria. "It's not one
of the languages I know."
"Yeah, none of us have
learned that one," said Kate.
"We've already got plenty of
bonus points from earlier reports
in Sindarin and Khuzdul. We'll
do these in English," said Brian.
"So, we're looking for wild horses
or any sign of them," said Aria.
"Everyone look around at where
we are now, get your bearings,
and note landmarks. We need
to be able to get back here
and return to our course."
They all turned in place,
finding the directions and
noting the positions of hills,
rock outcrops, and tree groves.
"Or we could just do this," Erin said,
and plopped another rock on the pile
that ey was building. "Mark our place."
"Good idea," said Brian, and fetched
more rocks to add to eir collection.
Then everyone fanned out to look
for wild horses or any sign of them.
"We need a vantage point," said Aria.
"That would let us see farther."
"The trees here are too scrubby,"
said Erin. "The branches would
block most of the view there."
"We could climb the rocks,"
said Brian. "Well, maybe ...
these ones look kind of loose."
Kate passed Daisy to Aria. "Lift
me up, longshanks," she said, and
Brian put her on his shoulders.
"I don't see any wild horses."
"They must spend a lot of
time here, though," said Aria.
"This is good habitat for
grazers of any kind."
As they searched,
they began to find
signs left behind.
Here the grass had
been eaten away.
There was a tuft of
horsehair caught on
a back-scratching rock.
"Look, hoofprints," said Erin,
pointing to a faint line of them.
They were barefoot, clearly
from wild horses rather than
a horseback tour, the details
flattened by heavy wear on
the rocky desert terrain.
"These look pretty fresh,"
said Aria. "We could follow
them for a bit to see if we
can spot the horse herd."
Suddenly Daisy froze.
"Yeah, no, something
just spooked Daisy,"
Kate pointed out.
"Maybe we should
call you Rabbit, you're
as fast and alert as
Daisy," said Brian.
Aria looked around
and saw a shadow
slinking between trees,
then another, and another.
"Over there," she whispered.
"Wolves, tracking the horses.
They're crepuscular, and it's
still pretty early in the morning.
"Let's get out of their way,"
Kate said, backing up.
"Yeah, but I'm going
to write 'em up as
wargs," Brian said.
Erin laughed. "You
do that," ey said.
The wolves were
much more interested
in the horse tracks than
they were in the humans,
and ignored their departure.
The cousins had no trouble
finding their way back to
the cairn that marked
their place on the trail.
As they hiked onward,
they came over a rise.
Below them stretched
another expanse of grass
and then a line of green trees.
"That looks familiar," Kate said,
raising a hand to shade her eyes.
"I bet that's the creek that runs
behind base camp," said Brian.
"It looks different from this direction,
but the position is about right for it."
"Yeah, that's it," Erin confirmed.
"I looked back as we were
climbing up the slopes
the other day, so that
I could recognize it
easier from this side."
"That's brilliant," said Aria.
"We should remember that."
Kate sighed. "But this means
that our trip is almost over."
"Yeah," Brian said, looking
glum. "I'll miss you so much."
This summer program was
the last time that they would
all be together for months.
The cousins had grown up
together, rarely apart for
very long, and sharing
all kinds of adventures.
Now, though, they were
about to go separate ways.
Brian was headed to Stanford
to study computer science,
sociology, and Earth systems.
He had already signed up for
the sustainable investment club.
That would open up all kinds of
job options after graduation.
Erin was scheduled to take
an Alexandrian Year focusing
on history, traditional skills, and
the people just behind the stories
in early American settlement.
Traveling from library to library
would offer lots of opportunities.
Ey didn't have any specific plans
after that program yet, but might
find inspiration along the way.
Kate planned to volunteer at
Handymen for Humanity, hoping
to learn enough that she could
set up as a handywoman later.
People would always need
someone for home repairs
or other practical projects.
Aria would be taking part in
Many Paths Up the Mountain,
a personal development program
with a spiritual and philosophic
approach to experiences.
She hoped to become
an interfaith chaplain.
They all had places
to go and things to do,
and they were excited,
but also sad to be parting.
Aria pulled them all into a hug.
"This isn't the end," she insisted.
"It's just the beginning. Whatever
happens, we'll all keep in touch."
"Yeah," said Erin. "We'll meet up
after our programs and then we'll
have more adventures together."
Brian sniffled a bit. "Then let's
get down to base camp and
find out if we're going to be
real rangers from now on."
"Woohoo!" Kate scampered
down the slope, and the rest
of them followed after her.
The grass here was short
but thicker than what was
growing at higher levels.
Pretty pink heads of
Geyer's onion appeared,
becoming denser as they
grew closer to the creek.
The barely-visible route
turned into a clear trail
through the grasses
and the wildflowers.
It led to a break in
the bushes and trees.
Picking up speed, eager
to reach the base camp,
they trotted down the trail.
Juniper titmice twittered
as they flew out of the way,
while scrub jays just fluttered
higher overhead and shrieked
at the returning company.
Alerted by the birds,
Flicker popped out of
her tent to greet them
all with a broad grin.
Kate held up the cage
with the white rabbit in it.
"Miss Daisy Proudfoot
returns triumphant from
her quest to recover
the Harvest Carrot!"
she proclaimed, and
produced the treasure.
"Congratulations, people,"
said Flicker. She waved at
the nearby table. "Please
return Daisy to her home,
then present your knives,
RangerCom, treasure,
and personal logbooks."
Kate put Daisy back into
the big hutch alongside
several other rabbits.
Then everyone placed
their things on the table,
including the Harvest Carrot
and the message pouch that
they'd found across the river.
"Sit down and grab a snack
if you want," Flicker invited.
The cousins were all tired,
so they flopped right into
camp chairs and then took
advantage of the snacks.
There was a big basket of
apples, while another held
homemade protein bars
topped with chocolate.
Flicker checked the knives
first, making sure that they
were all clean and sharp.
Then she connected
the RangerCom with
her tablet computer
to scan its records.
She took note of
the Harvest Carrot
and put that away.
"Message from our ally
says they're planning
to install a new well
and spigot for hikers,"
Flicker announced.
She looked through
their personal logbooks.
"For now, I'm just marking
the caches you found along
your route, and skimming
the reports which I will read
in more detail later," she said.
The cousins waited nervously
for her to make a judgment.
In her hutch, Daisy applied
herself to her hayrack and
calmly ignored everything.
"Front and center, folks,"
Flicker said, beckoning.
They lined up at the table,
trying hard not to fidget.
"You returned on time, with
your hobbit alive and well,
your gear in good shape, and
the Harvest Carrot in hand,"
said Flicker. "Congratulations,
rangers, you pass the test."
"Yes!" Brian exclaimed,
and punched the air.
"Take up your knives,"
Flicker invited, and they
reclaimed theirs "Have you
chosen your ranger names?"
"I'm Longshanks," said Brian,
and his cousins all laughed.
"Well chosen," said Erin.
"My name is Treestump."
"Rabbit," Kate declared.
"Daisy really helped us
think about safety, so
I want to honor that."
"I'm Bookhound,"
said Aria. "I used
my field guides a lot,
and that information
has proved very helpful."
"Longshanks, Treestump,
Rabbit, and Bookhound,
welcome to the Rangers
of the West!" said Flicker.
"May you live strong, walk
tall, and fight against evil
wherever your path may
take you from this day on."
The Harvest Carrot Quest
might be over, but they would
carry the memory of this trip
as they stepped into the future.
They would stay in touch, but it
was time to go wandering and see
what good they could do in the world.
That was what rangers were for.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character (Part 1: Cousins, Part 2: Flicker), location, and content notes appear separately.