Page 33 of One Step Too Far

Day one down. I’m already nervous for what happens next.

CHAPTER 12

The campsite takes shape quicker than I can imagine. By the time Miggy and I return, the tents are up in three clusters around a larger clearing with a ring of stones in the middle for the campfire. I drop my load of wood beside it as Miguel does the same. He takes the liberty of setting up the kindling, clearly knowing what he’s doing.

I notice Neil and Scott staggering out of the woods with a massive section of tree trunk between them. They position it in front of the fire the way one might arrange a sofa, then disappear without a word to fetch more seating.

I walk over to my tent, which Bob has erected next to Luciana’s. Daisy is sprawled on the ground before Luciana’s small blue-domed shelter. She thumps her tail in greeting as I approach.

“Tired, girl?” I ask her, pausing long enough to scratch behind her ears. She yawns contentedly. The dog is clearly tuckered out by the long day but seems in good spirits. Puts her ahead of most of us.

Luciana pokes her head out of her tent. “Just in time.”

“For what?”

“Water duty.” She holds up several portable buckets. “I volunteered us.” She gives me a conspiratorial look. “Grab fresh clothes, then follow me.”

Who am I to argue? I sort through my pack till I find a long-sleeve T-shirt and my black yoga pants. The air is already starting to cool, dusk coming quickly now. I remember what Lisa Rowell said about nights being chilly this time of year. After the hot, sweaty day, I’m looking forward to it.

Luciana has her own bundle tucked under her arm as she leads me away from the camp. I’m really sorry to be moving. The ache in my feet has reduced each step to a painful hobble, let alone the sore muscles defining the rest of me. I don’t have to be an experienced hiker to know that tomorrow will feel worse, especially after a night of sleeping on the ground. So I grit my teeth and remain quiet as Luciana threads her way through a bank of trees to the lake’s edge, out of sight of everyone else.

She sets down her clothes, shakes out the collapsible canvas buckets. She hands me two, and I’m immediately impressed by the design. Hard metal rings give structure to the top and bottom, as well as pail handles. But the waterproof material folds down to almost nothing in the middle. Pretty ingenious.

We fill all of them. Several gallons’ worth of water for the campsite—to boil for drinking water and dinner prep, I assume. Given my level of thirst and hunger, it all seems like a good idea.

Once finished, Luciana triumphantly holds up a small object I can barely make out in the shadows.

“Soap,” she announces, then in the next instant starts stripping.

I don’t have to be asked twice. Given I spent decades of my life waking up naked in strangers’ beds, I’m not one to worry about modesty now.

The water is freezing cold. Stream fed, Nemeth said. Then I’m guessing that stream came straight down from a glacier as I recoil sharply and bite back a scream. But the pain is worth it to scrub the layers of encrusted sweat and grime from my skin. I’ve never felt so itchy or, for that matter, smelled so bad.

Luciana goes all the way under, emerging with the grace of a dark otter and flipping back her long black hair. Obviously a pro, she works the tiny bar of soap through her hair, across her face, down her body. It’s a natural soap, she informs me, safe for lake water, but not so great at sudsing, so don’t be put off by the lack of bubbles.

We both quickly rinse, then return to the lake’s edge and drag our fresh outfits over our still-wet forms. Luciana attempts a brief wash of her dirty clothes, so I do the same. I’m starting to understand for the first time how thin my hiking wardrobe is, if we’re going to sweat through an outfit a day.

“We can hang our clothes near the fire to dry,” Luciana informs me. “Won’t be perfect, but a couple of days from now, they’ll smell better than anything else we own.”

“Thank you,” I tell her honestly. I don’t really have friends, which makes me even more appreciative of people who are kind.

We return to the camp, where Miguel has the fire going. He’s set up a cooking stand with a stainless steel pot dangling over the flames. Luciana dumps in the first bucket, and in no time at all, we have boiling water. My stomach rumbles expectantly.

“Exactly,” Luciana says. “Did you notice the calorie count on your MRE options? Most contain several thousand per serving. Ridiculous in normal life. Totally awesome after a full day of hiking. I’m telling you now, freeze-dried stroganoff is about to be the best thing you’ve ever tasted.”

More noise announces that Scott and Neil are back again. This log is smaller but works equally well. Bob appears with another slung over a single shoulder, whistling cheerfully as he plunks it down next to Scott and Neil’s labored delivery. They shake their heads at being so clearly outmuscled. But just like that, we have an outdoor living room, complete with fireside seating.

Nemeth and Martin emerge with their meal kits. The rest of us quickly follow suit. More water is boiled, instant food prepared, and by the time the daylight starts to fade, it’s a regular dinner party. We sit on the logs, waving tiny sporks and extolling the sheer perfection of rehydrated lasagna. Luciana didn’t lie: My pouch of macaroni and cheese is the finest meal I’ve ever eaten. I contemplate a second but figure I should pace myself.

Daisy scarfs down her own dinner, then hangs out in front of the fire, tongue lolling.

Conversation is light, with occasional bursts of banter. In this moment, we feel like a unified group. Eight people relaxing after a long day of physical exertion. The sky yawns above us, streaked with pink, then red as the sun works its way down the horizon.

I wonder if this is how the kids in my class felt when they went camping. This sense of awe and wonder, fear and excitement.

I think of my father, the intent look on his face as he struggled to assemble the borrowed tent. What do you remember most—the moments your parents genuinely tried, or all the times they definitely failed? I’ve never figured out that answer.

Sitting here now, I focus on the good. That this moment is beautiful and perfect, and I’m wise enough now to appreciate all the moments that came before it, even the less beautiful and less perfect ones, as they led me here.

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