The sun starts to slowly fall a slight cool breeze blowing in my face, the musical sounds of birds chirping and the last minute sounds of wild life filled the air. Thinking to myself, “I had better start back to camp”. I stand, put on my daypack, brush the dirt off my pants and start to slowly descend from the mountain.
It was early September and once again, I was archery hunting the east side of the Cascade Mountains for Elk. I had been hunting with friends for 16 years, but this year I found myself alone. I wasn’t afraid to be alone, for I knew these woods like the back of my hand, every creek, hill, and drainage were like old friends.
Stopping to drink out of the cold crystal clear creek, I can see in the distance; the ridge top that will take me back to camp, “I’d better quicken the pace”, I thought to myself.
Finally cresting the last hilltop, I can see the valley below where my camp awaits. The bright moonlight shines through the trees as I make my way down the hill. Stopping briefly, to tighten my pack straps I suddenly hear the tall tail sounds of Elk approaching! One by one, the ghostly images pass, I stand quietly, not wanting to scare them, enjoying the sounds of these magnificent animals. Then, as quickly as they came they were gone! Excitement coursed through my body, “Wow, not to many people get to experience that”. I thought to myself.
The closer I got to my camp, the more vivid shadows dancing off the trees that surround my camper became. “Great, one of my friends must be there”, “can’t wait to tell them of my encounter tonight”. As I emerge from the dark forest, I see a single person by the fire, and wonder to myself, “who that could be”?
With two hundred yards to go, I can feel the strain of the three-mile hike. My body aches and I’m exhausted, but the thought of a stranger in my camp forces me to quicken my pace.
As I merge from the shadows of the twilight into the glimmering light of the fire, my eyes fill with tears. Shivers of elation course through my body! Frozen in my tracks, I yell her name, unconscious of the sounds escaping my mouth. She looks around startled for a moment and then, as her eyes adjust to the form standing just outside the light of the fire, she stands and runs to me.
Before I can drop my pack or lay down my bow, she is upon me. Her arms holding me tightly, she kisses me passionately.
Breaking the kiss, “when and how did you get here?” I ask. “An hour ago”, she replied and went on to explain how she had called one of my friends from the airport, and that he had safely delivered her to my camp. Not being able to stay, he showed her around the campsite, opened the camper with his spare key, started the fire and left.
As I walked her to the camper, she said, “I have missed you so much that I had to be with you, I couldn’t stand being away from you any longer”. Hearing these wonderful words made my heart soar.
“You are never away from me, you live in my dreams and in my heart, and now before me my dreams have come true”. Embracing her tightly, we kissed, her hand traveling down to the front of my pants and she lightly strokes me. A moan escaped my mouth as our kiss deepened.
Pulling away, “Honey, I need a shower, want to take one with me”? “You have a shower up here”, she asked. “Never leave home without it”, I replied.
Dropping my daypack, I started to get undressed. As I removed the last bit of clothes, I could feel her eyes upon me. “Are you going to come with me or just stand there?” I asked.