Do you remember the time you were hiking in the mountains? The wind in the trees made a warm comforting sound. Birds chirped and sang off to the left and a couple of large trees creaked together to the right. The fragrance of the forest, slightly damp and musky, filled your senses. You hiked unhurried, along the trail that would lead eventually to the old lookout tower on the ridge. As you hiked to the top of a small hill, you noticed several people ahead, working on the trail. You could tell there were four men and a couple of women. They seemed to be repairing a portion of the trail washed out by spring runoff. Someone had split a couple of logs and two of the guys were now driving reinforcing posts to hold them in place. A couple of others were filling between the logs with gravel. The youngest of the women was finishing a ditch that was designed to route the runoff around the trail. As you approached I lifted my head, wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my glove. I smiled and said, "Hi."
"Wow, you guys really have a rough job!" You said.
I smiled back at you and said; "Ah, it's not too bad. Besides, the number of times we use this trail, the least we could do is spend a day or two fixing a couple of places."
"But how did you get all this gravel up here? It doesn't look natural." You asked.
I laughed "Everybody asks that. Actually the Forest Service gets that delivered. Down here it's brought in by horseback, but up higher they actually drop off loads by helicopter."
"Well that makes a little more sense. I just had this vision of you guys and all these little wheelbarrows bouncing up the trail!" You replied.
"Now that would have been a rough job!" I agreed.
"We're going to move up to the Slippery Creek crossing. You gonna finish spreading the last of this gravel?" One of the guys asked.
"Yeah, I can get it. I'll catch up to you at lunch." I replied.
"I should let you get back to work." You said.
"It's been great chatting with you. I really needed the break too." I chuckled. "Maybe I'll see you later."
"That would be nice." You replied. "It'll give me something to look forward to."
You continued up the trail, your thoughts drifting back to our conversation, wondering if I was just being friendly or was I more interested than that. You slowly strolled along enjoying the day, relaxing and letting your mind wander. You pass the rest of the work group and ask if they are going all the way up to the tower.
"We're heading back into town when we're done here. I think Randy was going to check out the tower and see if we needed to schedule a work party up there later." One of the women mentioned.
"Randy? Oh, was that the guy I was talking to?" You asked.
"That's the one." She replied and turned back to work.
Maybe I should go up to the tower then. No telling what might happen, you thought to yourself.
It was late afternoon by the time you reached the lookout tower. It was still in good condition, although the Forest Service had abandoned it several years ago. Now it was used as a rest stop for hikers in the summer and cross-country skiers in the winter. Even though the tower was well maintained, it was still a little scary climbing the light stairway to the observation platform. Once you were at the platform area, you could see for miles. A deck ran all the way around the outside of the main room. The main room was surrounded by glass and the floor still had a directional reference plaque in the center, pointing out significant landmarks on the horizon. Suspended from the main room were sleeping quarters. They room looked a little rustic; with three bunks each having a footlocker next to it. They must have gotten these bunks from army surplus, you thought. As you walked back up the stairs to the main platform, you looked down the trail and saw me emerging from the tree line. You walked out on the balcony as I approached.
"What took you so long?" you yelled down to me.
"I didn't know we had a date!" I laughed. "Besides we had to finish the repairs on the bridge at the Slippery Creek crossing."
"I take it you got it finished?" You asked.
"Yeah, still could use a little cleanup, but it will do." I replied.
I climbed the stairs to the platform and went over to a cabinet against the wall. I unlocked it and pulled out a gallon of water and some food.
"Here. Help yourself." I offered.
"Thanks. I really didn't plan to be out this late." You replied.
"I'm planning to stay the night and hike out in the morning." I explained. "I'm going to clean up a little. I'll be right back."
You looked at me with a puzzled look as I went down to the sleeping quarters, unlocked a footlocker and got a clean change of clothes. I tossed a towel over my shoulder and headed down the stairs. You watched as I hit the ground and headed to a small shack next to the tower. You noticed that the shack didn't have a roof and saw that a pipe leading up to a large barrel.
"The original shower! Ok, that makes sense. Maybe he's not insane!" You thought to yourself.
I came back up still toweling my hair dry.
"You've got quite a setup here." You said.
"It's well worth the few days a year we have to spend working on the trails. We also maintain the tower and do a little fund raising now and then." I explained. "In return we get to use the place when we want for the most part."
"Would you mind if I stayed the night up here too? I'm afraid it will be too dark to make it all the way back to the car." You asked.
"I'd love the company." I replied.
We talked for hours. We talked about our childhood, loves won and lost, the beauty of the area, just about everything. We went out on the balcony to see the stars unobstructed by the lights of the city. The stars filled the sky. I'm always impressed at the site and as luck would have it there was a new moon so the stars seemed to shine with even more brilliance than ever. You shivered in the cool night air and I offered you my coat.
"I couldn't take your coat... But I might share." You said smiling.
I can take a hint and put my arm around you as you snuggled under the edge of my coat. We stood there, letting the warmth of our bodies mingle. Our breath looked like little wisps of smoke as the evening breeze toyed with it. Finally we decided to let the coolness of the evening win and go inside, as we turned, you reached up, stoked my cheek, and lightly kissed me on the lips. I smiled and looked into your eyes. I wrapped my arms around you and held you close for a moment longer. A little shiver coursed through body, reminding me why we were headed inside in the first place.
Once inside I grabbed a blanket from the sleeping quarters and tossed it on the observation room floor.
"Now we can watch the stars and stay warm too!" I said.
We lay on the floor staring out through the floor to ceiling windows trying to identify different constellations. Unfortunately neither of us was terribly well versed in astronomy. We did wonder about those who first named the constellations. How long did it take, who decided that the particular name was right and which stars to include in the figure. You turned over on your stomach, propping yourself up on your elbows. I slowly ran my hand along your back, up and down, softly caressing you. I gently caressed the back of your neck. A low moan escaped your lips and you laid your head down on your arms. You closed your eyes and turned your face toward me. I bent down and softly kissed your cheek. I continue to run my fingers along your spine, stopping just at the top of your pants. I wasn't sure, but I thought I noticed you scoot up each time my fingers approached your bottom. Finally, I took a chance and slid my hand up under your shirt to caress your bare skin. My fingers continue up and ran across your bra strap.
I grinned at you and said; "This just won't do. How can I give you a proper massage with all this stuff in the way?"
With that I raised up, pulled your shirt up and unhooked your bra. I ran both my hands up and down your back. I let my fingers run down your sides as I bent down and kissed the back of your neck. As I ran my fingers along your sides, I could feel the softness of your breasts.
"Shall I continue?" I asked, hoping I already knew the answer.
"Yes, please." You whisper.
"Ok then. Let's get these pants off." I suggested.
