Carne Mountain to High Pass (page 25)

Day Ten,  Leaving High Pass

My foot throbbed throughout the night, but I was able to sleep. In the morning, I thought triumphantly, "See! It isn't nearly as bad as we thought." I eagerly drug myself out of the tent, then nearly howled aloud as I first put weight on my left foot. OK, so it was a little worse than I thought it was. But I could live with a little pain. I walked gingerly over to where Bill and Greg were finishing up their breakfast. They looked up at me with surprise evident in their eyes.

With his tan cowboy hat, brown and white plaid shirt, and heavy beard, Bill looked like a 20th century mountain man, not some guy from Ballard. He and son Greg were both a little on the portly side, with Greg being a younger beardless version of his dad. They were both indescribably wonderful to me.

They expressed amazement that I was getting around so well, adding they had honestly thought I would have a fever and be in shock. They had talked it over during the night and had figured they were going to have to hike out to get help for me. You couldn't get a horse up to where we were, so most likely that 'help' would have been in the form of a helicopter. Instead, here I was waltzing over to their campsite on my own power. I told them happily that I could walk out on my own and, no offense to the Eagle Scouts, I wasn't about to be rescued by the Boy Scouts. Greg smiled mischievously and told me that I already had been. I had to allow that he was right.

I told them that I had regretfully come to accept the fact that Bill was right when he said that I shouldn't finish the rest of the hike, but evacuate now. I even admitted that I was concerned about getting over that rough, rocky stretch about Triad Lake. Greg smiled and said they thought about that and had a plan. He was going to carry my pack for me all the way back up to the saddle where the trail started.

I was so grateful for their generosity and willingness to put their own plans on hold to help me, that even now words don't adequately express it. I left to pack up in preparation for my departure.

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