It was hot and muggy as I made my way up the mountain trail to the campsite I was planning on pitching for the night. Ever since I was a kid, I always enjoyed hiking and camping. There is nothing better than communing with nature and taking in all the sights. The pack on my back was seated just right and I felt as if I could continue to hike forever, but I knew that beyond the campsite it would be difficult to find an adequate spot to bunk down for the night.
I could hear voices as I rounded the last bend before the campsite. My friend, the ranger, at the bottom of the hike had told me there were a couple more hikers that were up ahead of me. He also told me they were what he would consider novices, and if at possible, he would be grateful if I made certain no raging fire was started at the campsite. I chuckled inwardly as I stepped into the campsite and realized that wasn't going to be a problem at all.
The tents were hardly put up, and the five of them were openly arguing with one another about how to setup the tents. The firewood was stacked completely wrong in the fire pit, and they would be lucky to even get a spark let alone a full on fire. When I stepped into the clearing, all the heads turned my way and the arguing ground to an immediate halt.
I introduced myself to each of them, shaking their hands one by one. All of them looked to be in their early to mid-twenties. The first couple I met was Jan and Mike. They were the ones that were the most vocal with one another about how to properly setup their tents. Mike stood about 6 foot with a completely shaved head and two large hoop earrings. He kind of reminded me of Mr. Clean. He was wearing blue jean shorts and had already shed his shirt. I have to say, I was impressed (and slightly envious) at the conditioning of his upper body, it was obvious he spent quite a bit of time in the gym.
Jan stood about 5 foot 5 inches, with long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her physique was just as impressive as Mike's. She was wearing a tight pair of khaki shorts and a brown bikini top. I couldn't help but notice the trail of sweat rolling between her breasts, the taut abdomen or the curves of her hips. She was definitely a tasty morsel and Mike was truly a lucky fella.
Jan introduced me to the rest of the group. She started with her brother Jim and his boyfriend Terry. It was more than obvious that Jim and Jan were brother and sister. I would venture to say if they weren't twins, they were damn close in age. Jim was also obviously the more feminine of the two guys, his body and stance giving off a feminine vibe. While his boyfriend Terry looked like a shaggy wannabe mountain man.
Lastly she introduced me to Leesa, who was apparently the fifth wheel of the bunch. Leesa was Terry's younger sister and she had the same shaggy hairstyle as her older brother. The difference was, unlike Terry, her black hair fell around her shoulders in a shaggy wave, framing her pale skin beautifully.
I let my eyes roam down her body, taking in her plaid short-sleeve shirt that was conveniently tied in a knot below her breasts exposing her midsection. Her arms and abdomen were covered in brightly colored tattoos, and she had various piercings on her face, nose and ears. Her shorts were nothing more than cut-off blue jeans and her creamy thighs were also covered with tattoos here and there. It was like a Suicide Girl had walked right out of a magazine and into the campsite. I was definitely intrigued.
I quickly pitched my own two-man tent, sat back and watched for the others for a minute or two longer. I quickly decided that it was both comical, and painful, to watch Mike and Jan try to set up their campsite. Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to lend the other campers a hand. In about a half hour's time I helped them all get their tents up, and told them the best way to spread their sleeping bags for comfort. Afterwards, I took my hatchet and went in search of dry branches to use as starter for the fire pit.
I was surprised to see Leesa keeping up with me as I cut and drug out wood and branches for the fire pit. She would take them in bundles and lay them next to the pit for me. She never had a complaint in the world, just worked back and forth toting and stacking.
We chatted some while we worked and I learned how she managed to be a part of this merry band of misfits. Apparently, Mike and Jan had wanted to go camping and hiking for some time. Jan had managed to talk her brother into accompanying them with his boyfriend. Leesa was in town from New York visiting, and being bored, decided to just tag along.
The fire pit got stacked properly, and I quickly got it lit just as the sun was beginning to go down. We didn't exactly need the heat, but I knew from experience it would still get a little chilly up there on the mountain side. What was most important was the light. Without it, everyone would be stumbling in the dark with tiny lanterns. That would definitely have been a comedy of errors.
I pulled my supper out of my pack and relaxed against a log. As I feasted on beef jerky, dried fruit, nuts and water, the rest of the group scrambled to try and find sticks to roast hot dogs and marshmellows over the flame. I finally tossed them my knife to whittle down the end of some sticks to make things easier. My ranger buddy was right; this group would have been lost without some help.
Finally, I saw them pull out what I had been expecting them to. Two full bottles of Jack Daniels and Tequila were miraculously produced from Jan's backpack as well as a baggy of premium weed. Amazingly, neither of the bottles had gotten broken during the hike. Everyone made themselves comfortable, passing around the bottles of booze and then finally lighting up a joint.
