My Silver Mate

[Day One - Part One]

[Samara]

I was beyond excited as Ben pulled up into the parking lot of Oakville Forest. I didn’t see any other cars around, but that wasn’t unusual. Camping or even hiking wasn’t for everyone, but this part of the forest had been cornered off for camping and hiking. I squealed excitedly as we climbed out of Ben’s landrover, and I nearly fell on my face as I stumbled to get my footing.

“I swear,” I heard Heather mutter, but I chose to ignore her. It was early, too early for her as it was still dark. I headed to the back where Ben was unloading everything.

“Girls, would you go and let the ranger know we are here?” Ben asked as he handed over one of the larger backpacks to Wesley. I grabbed Heather’s hand and literally dragged her to the cabin, which was situated by the entrance.

“Good morning, ladies,” the ranger, Calvin Holls, greeted cheerfully as he stood in the doorway sipping on what I had to assume was coffee.

“Good morning, Ranger Holls,” I greeted while Heather simply grunted. She would be fine once we started hiking up to our camping spot.

“I wasn’t expecting you bunch for another hour…at least,” he remarked with a chuckle as he eyed Heather.

“The early bird catches the worm!” I sang out. “We just wanted to sign in,” I then added. Calvin nodded as he headed back inside. Once again, I dragged Heather along as we entered the cabin. We were greeted by the warmth of the fire Calvin had going in the corner and I shivered as another wave of excitement rushed through me.

“You are way too perky this morning,” Heather complained, and I shot her a smile.

“Ah come on Heather, we’ve been looking forward to this trip for ages!” I finally got a smile out of her, and I considered that a win. The front of the cabin was simply decorated with a front counter, two back desks, and two large couches. Calvin stood by the counter with the large log-in book.

“I wrote down your names the other day when Ben called,” he said as he pointed it out. “Just put down two emergency numbers and your signatures,” I nodded as I picked up the pen. I quickly jotted down Ben and Wesley’s contact numbers before I signed my name. I handed the pen over to Heather so that she could sign it, but before we left, I pulled out a piece of folded paper.

“I doubt you’ll need it but…it’s our parent's contact numbers and stuff,” I said as I handed it over to Calvin. He smiled as he took it from me before he went and pinned it up on the board behind one of the desks.

“Got it, now…you guys know the rules, so be safe and follow the trail,” he said sternly. Heather and I both nodded earnestly before we finally headed out. Ben and Wesley were ready to go and each of them helped Heather and me with our backpacks before they picked up the last of our gear. Luckily, we had learned over the years how to pack correctly so we weren’t overloaded.

“We good to go?” Wesley asked.

“We are,” Heather said, and I smiled as I noticed she looked more alive. Ben made sure his car was locked before he pocketed his keys. The two men took the lead as we headed to the entrance. Calvin stood by the door, watching us. As soon as we entered, the trees shadowed a little bit of the light as the sun started to rise. Ben switched on his headlamp first, followed by the rest of us. The trail was, thankfully, clear as we started to walk. With Ben right in front, he kept us going at an easy pace as we started moving upward. I kept my head down as I tried to keep my breathing even. It was a bit chilly, but we had been more than prepared, so my jacket kept me warm. No one said a word as we walked, each of us too busy concentrating on where we stepped. By the time the sunlight started coming through the trees, the headlamps became useless, and Ben stopped us.

“Break,” he announced, and I was silently thankful as I carefully pulled out my water bottle.

“How long?” Heather questioned before she uncapped her bottle and took a long sip.

“Two-plus hours,” Wesley answered, and I sighed softly. We still had another three-hour walk before we got to our camping spot, but now that it was lighter, the hike would be a lot more enjoyable. Now we would be able to see the forest come alive with animals – if they dared to show themselves to us.

“Energy bar,” Ben offered as he handed one bar to each of us. He was conscious like that, and I loved him for it as I devoured the bar. I couldn’t wait for us to get to camp so that we could have a proper breakfast. “If you need a pee break, go now,” Ben then said as he stepped a bit off the trail to do his business. Welsey looked at the two of us, but I quickly shook my head.

“I’m good,” Heather told him, and he nodded before he headed after Ben. “I actually feel pretty good,” Heather then said to me, and I smiled.

“Same here,” I said as I breathed in the fresh air. “It’s so good to be out here,” I added. Heather nodded as she packed away her bottle and I hurriedly did the same. Ben appeared a moment later and Wesley was close behind.

“All right, let’s go,” Ben said before he once again took the lead. This time, however, Wesley took up the rear and I was just behind Ben. This was the part about hiking that I enjoyed the most. Ben was a great lookout, and he would always point out various things that he spotted. Today was starting out to be a great day.