Suzy, whom he knew from high school, a big blocky girl who once had a crush on him, maybe still did, approached him about a hike several days after his gardening debut. Despite her stout frame, she was kind of cute, but her continual pursuit of him in high school had been annoying. It had been a tricky situation, and maybe he should have made it clear early on that he had absolutely no interest in her. He enjoyed her friendship, however, and did not have the gumption to hurt her. It might have been better for her if he had been harsh, but she finally backed off anyway. They both ended up in college at CRM where they remained friendly. Nonetheless, he would have found a reason to pass on the hike, but this would be her and some girlfriends. And she really wanted his help.
In a way, it was flattering. Suzy was familiar with his zeal for hiking and exploring the mountains and valued his expertise. Being early season, the more well-known trails were still snowed in, and she had assumed he would have a worthy alternative. She acknowledged that his recommendation would likely be hard to locate and off-trail, which was okay. But if the route were challenging to find and follow, they would need his help to avoid getting lost. Thus, even though it was a girl's hike, he was invited.
It was an opportunity to get the impossible situation of Meredith off his mind. Her veiled pronouncement that he needed a girl to make her feel better applied both ways. He didn't have high hopes for Suzy's friends--they would probably be earthy, which might not be all bad, but his expectations were low. Suzy tended to run with some manly women. They, however, might be a pleasant diversion for the day.
The morning they picked for the hike was forecast to be bright, sunny, and warming. He had a good trek selected. As a geology major, he had stomped around a good portion of the nearby mountains during various field studies classes. He often also went off-trail solo or with a couple of friends. On one of his solo explorations, which were more often than not textile-free, he had found a spot with a small creek. The creek dropped over a limestone ledge, forming a 20-foot-high waterfall and an associated pool. The pool at the base of the waterfall was large enough to swim a couple of short strokes. The water was always cold, and being springtime, it would be icy.
Even if you didn't get in the water, it was a beautiful and peaceful spot. The route to reach the waterfall had the advantage of being at a relatively low elevation and mainly on a south-facing slope, so lingering snow should not be a significant issue. It was about a half-mile on-trail, then three and a half miles off-trail to get there. The hike would take the most of the day.
When they arrived, the trailhead was empty. The trailhead had parking for six cars, and there was usually one or two there, even on weekdays, and parking was often unavailable on the weekends. They had arranged to do the hike on Thursday when the otherwise crowded trailhead would be less busy. In fact, they need not have worried since it was early season.
Some classes got skipped, but the weather made it worth it. It was crystal clear and brisk when they started out. He had assured them that it would warm up quickly and suggested they not overdress. Given the weather and the apparent lack of people in the area, he yearned to shed his clothes, but with three new girls on the outing, he conceded stripping wasn't the best idea. Even in front of Suzy, given their history, it might not be the best idea.
Suzy brought along two of her friends, whom she introduced to Darrell as Lydia and Jasmine--Jaz, and Jaz brought Katherine, whom she knew from one of her classes. Of this group, he was immediately interested in Katherine, who was a Native American from New Mexico. She was tall at about 5' 9" and, although in baggy shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt, still appeared to have a figure that would rock a men's magazine. Jaz contrasted her at a couple of inches over five feet with a lean, straight runner's physique, which it turned out she was. Lydia was slightly taller than Katherine, with reddish-brown hair, light-skin, and with a slender but shapely frame. She was already spreading on globs of sunscreen. They all appeared in good enough shape for the moderately long off-trail hike. He knew Suzy could hike for miles and would likely only invite girls who could also go a reasonable distance. From previous experience, he knew she wasn't fond of women who couldn't hold their own.
As predicted, they had gone less than a mile, and he began sweating despite having to walk around or over the occasional snowdrift. Once again, his instinct was to shed his clothes, but with the group of girls, three of whom he had just met, he had to resist his impulse. Nonetheless, he called a halt to remove his pack and, at least, pull his shirt off, exposing his well-tanned and muscled torso.
Immediately, Suzy complained, "It's unfair that guys can go topless and women can't."
This did not surprise Darrell, knowing Suzy to be a bit of an outspoken feminist. Often annoyingly so. Pushy women got under his skin, but in this case, he was going to make it work to his benefit. "Take your top off then," he said. "No one here cares. We are off-trail on a weekday in the middle of nowhere."
This shut her up for a minute. He was a little surprised she did not immediately agree. Then he added, "Seriously, no one will see you, and even if they do, who cares? This is wilderness; it's okay to be wild and as nature intends you to be. Plus, you'll be more comfortable, so long as you don't let yourself get sunburnt."
"Easy for you to say; you've no risk," said Jaz.
He took the opportunity she had given him and replied, "I don't think there is any risk being seen, period, and even if we were, I doubt out here, anyone would care. If I didn't think it would offend you guys, I'd hike naked."
"I agree with Darrell," Suzy finally said. "There is no reason not to go topless and every reason to shed the shirt and bra if you have one."
Katherine was not waiting for the conversation to play out; she was already stuffing her shirt and bra into her pack. Darrell wanted to give himself a high five.
"Will you join us, Jaz, Lydia?" asked Suzy.
Jaz responded, "Yeah, sure, but I will call Darrell on what he said. If we are going topless, he needs to lose his shorts. It's only fair. Then it's more or less equal."
He wasn't sure if he agreed it was equal, but he wouldn't object. He was, however, surprised that Jaz was the one who said this based on his first impression. It was probably because her petite frame and fresh face made her look younger than college age.
"I've no problem with that if none of you do," he replied. Again, wanting to high-five himself.
It was agreed that it was only fair that he went naked. Stuffing his clothes into his pack certainly wasn't a sacrifice on his part; he got just what he wanted. He just needed to avoid getting turned on, which he hadn't adequately considered when he was maneuvering for his nakedness. He was now the lone naked man with four women. Somehow, that was arousing and could turn embarrassing.
They were back on their way to their destination after applying sunscreen. The more hesitant Lydia layered on half a bottle's worth with some help from Suzy.
A little way down their path, Katherine caught up to him.
"You hike here often? It is gorgeous. I especially love the aspen forest and the meadows with the spring wildflowers."
"As often as I can. I have several other choice locations, and where I go depends on the season. In a couple of weeks, or sooner, this place will be swarmed by mosquitos, and I will need to hike higher up. These places help with the stress of classes; they help clear my mind, but I also just really like being out here close to nature."
"I need to get out and explore more. This whole area is stunningly beautiful."
"That is for sure. Best to take advantage of it while you can."
