Squinting into the brilliant yellow glare of the sun filtering through my cars dusty windshield I pulled in to the dirt parking lot by the river and stopped. The car hissed and popped hot fluids gurgling. I stepped out and looked around. The camp site in front of me looked big. I walked up a slight slope to the picnic table past a large fir tree dripping sap in long sticky strings from numerous wounds. I saw the fire pit with a grate, it seemed a long ways off from the table. Several areas looked flat and level good tent spots.
Ferns covered the forest floor beyond the cleared camp in a knee high sea of green getting swallowed up by small stands of hemlock and salmon berry all in the shadows of the towering Douglas firs and Cedars that marched off up the mountain side by the churning river. I unpacked my supplies, swatting flies and continuously wiping sweat from my eyes.
Setting up my small green and gray tent on the most level spot I made up my bed and sat back to smoke. Sitting on the picnic table by my lantern and cooler I saw that the old wood table had carvings covering it almost entirely. Some were old enough to have moss growing in them and some were fresh and knew. Names and initials left there by faceless campers over years. It makes me wonder what those people were doing when they were here, why they scrawled there initials here for posterity, or to commemorate something, or just out of boredom and a pocket knife.
I got up and wandered off through the jagged green ferns on a narrow path, one of many that crossed and crossed again up and down the side of the river. Walking upstream I watched the huge dark trunks of the coniferous trees pass by, looking up through the lace of tree limbs at the blue sky from the shade bellow. The trail weaved through the old trees and virtually disappeared into a wall of thick green vegetation.
I ducked and weaved through, climbing over a large fallen alder tree and closing my eyes against the swarm of black gnats buzzing on the other side as I jumped down. I found the river eventually and sat on a mossy rock near a stand of small weed choked alders and smoked. The wind coming down the valley over the river was a cool and crisp, refreshing in the heat of the evening sun.
I found my way back on a different trail and set out back to civilization to call my girlfriend and show her the way to our campsite.
We met in the parking lot under a street light. I was waiting for her in my car, to show her the way. Hurtling down the long winding road in the dark under the trees, I was eager to get there and spend some time with her. I could see her head lights behind me, my beautiful girl coming to spend the night in the woods with me. A fork in the road led us down a dirt track to a small campground by a river. We pulled in and the night forest went black as our headlights flickered off.
In the dark I produced a small flash light and taking my girls hand I led her up to my camp sight. Lighting a propane lantern threw the woods into sharp contrast. We looked around the camp. I built a quick fire always trailing my hand around my honey's waist, trailing my lips across her cheek. We sat together on the much carved picnic table and smoked, and talked.
Although We hadn't seen each other in some time it felt as if we were never apart, chatting and laughing and smoking in the forest. She smiled and blushed seeing me staring at her. I couldn't help myself. She was so beautiful, so sensual I couldn't take my eyes off her. I held her close, kissing her and feeling her against me. Standing near under the dark trees in the lantern light I put my arm around her waist and leaned down to kiss her cheek and neck, the corner of her mouth. I felt her hand on my leg as she turned into the kiss opening her mouth. Soft lips pressed mine and small eager hands stroked my thigh, bumping so slightly my fast growing erection.
