There was one long set of steps the seemed to go straight up forever. Flint had them stop often and rest. Everyone was huffing and puffing as they gained elevation. As they topped the ridge they had a good view of the Basin and they rested and took a drink.
“The hardest part is over,” Evan said. “I’ve done this hike before.”
They shouldered their packs and headed off again. Flint called a halt near a beautiful tree.
The tree’s bark was peeling off and the trunk exposed was a beautiful red color, smooth and shiny.
“That would make some beautiful walking sticks wouldn’t it?” Evan commented.
The young people all agreed.
“It is a Madrone Tree. I don’t think they are very common in Texas. I’ve only seen a few of them.” He continued.
They started off again and Evan noticed Ava looking back down the trail.
“Why do you keep looking back?” Evan asked quietly catching up with her.
“I keep feeling like we’re being followed,” she replied.
“Why would anyone follow us? This is a public trail. It is perfectly understandable that someone else might be hiking it.”
“I thought I heard someone too,” Crystal agreed overhearing their conversation.
Ava and Crystal hurried to catch up to the group. Evan shrewdly dropped back and stepped behind a large boulder concealing himself from anyone coming up the trail. Before long he saw a young man coming up the trail.
He stepped from behind the rock just as the man came along side. He startled the man so much he lost his balance, staggering back toward the edge.
Evan deftly grabbed his arm and pulled him to safety.
“Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said releasing the stranger’s arm.
The man quickly recovered. “Thanks for keeping me from going over!”
Evan didn’t explain why he had been hiding behind the boulder and the man didn’t ask which Evan thought was kind of strange.
“I’m with the group of teenagers up ahead,” Evan explained. “Come on let’s catch up.”
The man followed Evan up the trail. Before long they caught up to the group that was resting. The man did a double take when he saw Opal and Amber sitting next to each other on some rocks. “Pretty weird,” he thought to himself, “I didn’t know that there was a set of twins.”
“Hi, my name is Rocky,” he announced to the group. “I’ve already met Mica and Opal”
Ava and Evan exchanged glances. “So this is Rocky,” Ava thought giving the man a once over.
“Mica never mentioned meeting Rocky,” Evan thought but didn’t say out loud. “I wonder where they met and why he never said anything.”
Evan pointed toward each of the remaining teenagers giving their names.
“This is my wife, Ava,” he continued. “My name is Evan Wright.”
Rock quickly recovered and went to talk to the “twins”.
He stood in front of Amber and started talking.
“So Opal,” he address her, “what did Mr. Wright say your twin’s name was?”
“We aren’t twins,” Amber said laughing, “and my name is Amber. That is Opal and we are half-sisters. I’m the oldest.”
“It is pretty cool you look so much alike,” Rocky said. “So you tricked me the other night. I called you Opal, and you didn’t correct me. I’ll bet you thought it was funny.”
“I’m afraid I did,” Amber agreed. “It seemed harmless enough at the time. I apologize for not setting you straight.”
“How is your grandfather?” he asked them.
Opal hesitated. “How does he know about grandpa?” she wondered.
Amber quickly answered, “He’s doing better. Thanks for asking.”
They chatted for awhile before Flint called for them to head off again. When they reached Waypoint Eight Rocky left the group.
“I’m not hiking all the way,” Rocky told Evan. “I have to get back to work and today is my last day. I’m taking the Boot Spring Canyon trail.”
They split up and Rocky headed back. The trail leveled off as it wound around the flat top of the mesa.
“Amber, wait up.” Opal called after Rocky was out of sight.
“You didn’t tell me you’d met Rocky,” she said accusingly when she reached Amber’s side.
“I snuck over to the store and got a card for Grandpa,” Amber explained. “He saw me and thought I was you. Since I was getting a get well card, I mentioned Grandpa’s heart attack.”
“Did he ask you where we would be hiking today,” Opal asked.
“Yes, why.”
“Well he asked me the time I saw him too. Makes me wonder why he wanted to know, and now he turns up here on the same trail.”
Evan shooed the girls on up the trail. They were lagging behind while they talked.
They arrived at the GPS coordinates. There were sweeping views of Chihuahuan Desert and Mexico. The beauty of God’s handiwork spread out before them. They rested and enjoyed the view before spreading out to locate the bottle.
Flint located the bottle a short distance off the trail between two small boulders. They grouped together with the view behind them so Ava could snap the last picture. They gathered around Flint as he opened this last bottle. Inside was a note from their grandmother.
“Well done!” Flint read the note aloud. “You have earned your trust funds and I hope you have become friends on this journey. I hope this adventure created lifelong memories for you all and that you have stories to tell of this time spent together. Each of you will have a ‘treasure’ waiting for you back at your grandfather’s house in San Angelo. God bless and keep you. Love Grandma Ruby.”
Flint got choked up and could barely finish reading the note. He carefully rolled it back up and put it the bottle. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and put the bottle into his backpack.
Clifford helped cover the emotional moment for him by directing the teen’s attention to the panoramic views to the south.
“Can you spot the Rio Grande to mark our nation’s border? They say you can see for over 100 mile into Mexico from here,” he told them.
The rest stop before heading back was made uncomfortable by biting flies. They were forced to swat flies while trying to eat their snack. Opal and Amber had developed blisters on toes and heels. Ava helped them put on antiseptic and band aids. They laid their damp socks on rocks in an effort to dry them out. Finally it was time to head back. The girls gingerly put their socks and shoes back on.
Flint again took the lead. The trail was a loop and so they turned left and followed a different route back to the Basin. They again had a set of switchbacks; this time to descend.
“Going down is harder on my knee than going up,” Ava commented. “It’s been awhile since we did six days of hiking in a row.”
Mica had to use the bathroom and he let Evan pass him. Evan nodded that he understood and continued down the trail.
Not long after Mica dropped back they reached a wide corner turn on the switchback and Flint called for a rest stop. He tipped his head back to finish off the last of the water in his bottle and saw with horror rocks tumbling and rolling down the hill toward them.
“Watch out,” he yelled dropping his drink and grabbing Crystal’s arm. He thrust her down the trail in front of him.
Flint and Crystal ran down the trail as the sound of falling rock reverberated through the canyon. Looking back they saw that Opal and Amber were right behind them then dust obscured their vision.
The four huddled together at the next corner of the switchback. They coughed when the cloud of dust reached them. It seemed to them like they waited forever for the dust to clear.
Mica high above them on the switchback watched in horror as the rockslide obscured the trail below him. As soon as the rocks stopped rolling he hurried down the path.
Rubble covered the trail and he cautiously c
limbed over. He scrambled across the loose stones and leaped onto the trail beyond where he could see Garnet, Evan and Ava crouched back under an overhang. Evan’s shirt was torn revealing a gash on his shoulder which was bleeding. Garnet had blood running down the side of his face from cuts on his scalp.
“Are you badly hurt? Where are the others?” Mica asked breathless from rushing down the hill. Surprisingly he didn’t stutter. He peered over the edge of the trail in fear of what he might see.
“They were ahead of us on the trail,” Evan managed to say. “I think they made a run for it. I don’t know. No one could survive under there.”
“Go ahead and check,” Ava ordered him while digging through her backpack. “I’ve got to put first aid on these cuts and stop the bleeding.”
Mica squinted his eyes against the glare of the hot sun to survey the trail in front and below him. They would have to climb over the rubble several times on the way down.
“Flint! Crystal!” he shouted as he began the climb over the debris. He dislodged some loose rock and started another minor slide. Afraid he might end up at the bottom, he proceeded more cautiously across the rubble.
“We’re here,” Flint yelled back. “I have Crystal, Opal and Amber and we’re all fine. Are the rest of you?”
“Garnet and Mr. Wright have some cuts,” Mica called, as he worked his way across the unstable mass.
Flint reached out and helped him down onto the trail. “Mrs. Wright is putting bandages on their cuts,” he told them.
Mica glanced toward the girls and saw Opal breathing heavily with tears flowing down her cheeks. The other girls were trying to comfort her.
Flint started to climb back over the mound and met Garnet coming his way, his faced smeared with bloody dirt and a white bandage wrapped around his head. Flint turned around and returned to the trail then gave Garnet a hand and helped him off the rubble and onto the trail.
Opal dried her eyes on the end of her shirttail when she saw his bloody face. She then used the wet area to clean up his face. “Thank goodness you are okay,” she said and gave him a hug when she finished.
“Sure glad you’re not the type to faint at the sight of blood,” he kidded her gently as he returned the hug.
Soon Ava and Evan joined them on that side of the rockslide. The large loose rocks and gravel had been tough to scramble over. Ava’s foot got buried at one point and Evan had to turn around and help her free herself.
The rockslide had continued downhill for quite a distance and they had to climb over the loose rock debris covering the trail twice more but each time it was smaller and easier.
They arrived back at the basin just in time to see the setting sun paint the sky a beautiful orange. They hurried to report the slide to the ranger on duty. He dispatched another ranger to go check on the trail.
They dines at the Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant in the Basin before heading back to the resort. During dinner they discussed whether they should head over to the medical center at Alpine to have their wounds checked out. They finally decided they would just check in with their own physicians when they got home.
The scare of the rockslide made everyone’s sleep that night less than restful. They ate breakfast and finished packing up to head back to San Angelo. They would be stopping in Odessa to check on Clifford. Before they finished checking out a National Park Ranger dropped by to talk to them.
“We found a spot where someone dug out below a large boulder which caused the rockslide yesterday,” he told Evan and Ava. “The area was trampled pretty good. I’ve notified the Texas Rangers. About all they will find though is boot prints.”
“It is all pretty weird,” Ava commented. “First Mr. Warren has a suspicious heart attack and now the rockslide that could have killed one or all of us.”
“Y’all are very lucky no one was seriously injured,” the ranger said.
“Thanks for giving us a report,” Evan said. “We will be on the lookout for anymore trouble.”
Ava and Evan stood off to the side quietly talking as the cousins finished loading up their luggage into the trailer.
“You don’t think Mica did it, do you?” Evan asked. “He was behind and above us on the switchback for quite some time.”
“No way,” Ava said emphatically, shaking her head. “Why would you think such a thing?”
“Well remember at the swimming pool when he yelled ‘I hope you all drown!’ the day Flint grabbed him and pulled him under in the pool.”
“That was just the heat of moment,” Ava stated. “I don’t believe for a minute he’d do that. Besides what would he have had to dig with?”
“If I get an opportunity I’ll take a peek into his backpack.” Evan told her.
Mica came over with Garnet and Flint in tow.
“We are going down to the stables to pick up the puppy,” Mica said. “It won’t take a minute to get her.”
They boys ran off and quickly returned with the black and tan German Shepherd cradled in Mica’s arms. Garnet carried a small pet carrier and Flint had a bag of puppy food and a food and water dish.
They finally got the puppy situated in the back of the van, then loaded everyone into the van and headed to Odessa. They stopped at a flower shop near the hospital and purchased a pretty plant for Clifford. They stopped by the hospital information desk to find out which room he was in. They were relieved to hear that he was much improved. He’d been moved out of ICU and into a regular room.
Crystal led the way into the hospital room and placed the plant on the windowsill.
“How are you feeling grandpa?” Crystal asked as she bent to give him an affectionate hug.
“Fine! Fine! I’m ready to get out of here and head home,” he replied cheerfully as he returned her hug. Then each one of the grandkids gave him a hug.
The teens gathered at the foot of the bed, and Ava limped over to take the chair next to his bed. She eyed him intently, noticing his once rosy cheeks now appeared pale and wrinkled. The heart attack had taken away his weight reserve and it showed in his face. His voice was brisk but somehow for the first time, he appeared fragile sitting there in the hospital bed.
“You’re limping,” Clifford pointed to the bandaged knee. “What happen, you step in a hole again while walking and taking pictures?”
“Not this time,” Ava responded. “Crystal jumped off a boulder and landed on me!”
She flashed Crystal a smile.
“That’s not what happened at all,” Crystal giggled. “You remember where you hid the bottle on the Window’s trail? Way up at the top of a boulder? I don’t know how you and Grandma did it without falling. I was climbing down and slipped. Ava tried to break my fall and we both landing on our backsides in the dirt. Me on top.”
“I’m fine,” Ava reassured Clifford. “I even finished the last hike.”
“So you collected all the bottles and took all the pictures to prove it?” he eagerly asked the group of teens at the foot of his bed.
“Yes, they did.” Ava replied proudly. “I’ll print out the pictures and give everyone a copy when we get home.”
Pride and excitement shown in his eyes. “I am so proud of all of you! I knew you would succeed! I hope you enjoyed the hikes and want to come hike with me again in the near future.”
“What does your doctor say about you hiking?” Evan asked him.
Clifford ignored that question.
“The doctor will be by in a little bit to sign my release papers. We need to get out of here and spring Myron out of jail. Can you believe they think he switched my medicine! It’s a bunch of poppycock!”
“We don’t want to cause you another heart attack but there was a suspicious rock slide on the South Rim trail.”
Clifford pressed the button to seat up more and asked Evan to help him fix his pillows.
“Okay, I’m all ears. What happened?”
Evan explained that on the way dow
n there had been a slide that started above them on the switchbacks and nearly knocked them off trail.
“As you can see we are all fine,” he said not wanting to stress his friend’s weak heart. “We reported the slide to the Park Rangers and they went to take a look. Someone had started the slide by digging out at the base of a big boulder.”
“I’ve got a gash on my shoulder blade, and Garnet has some on his scalp.” He waved for Garnet to lean over so his grandfather could see the bandage on the top of his head.
Ava glanced over at the monitor that showed Clifford’s vital signs. She was relieved to see that they hadn’t shot way up.
The doctor came in with a nurse carrying his chart. He chatted for a minute, and then signed the chart giving permission for Clifford’s release.
“Your personal physician has called you in a new prescription. You will need to pick it up as soon as you get back to San Angelo,” the doctor informed him. “The police are holding the old prescription bottle for evidence.”
“If ya’ll step out now, I’ll help Mr. Warren get dressed,” the nurse said shooing them from the room.
They headed down the hall toward the waiting room and saw Myron striding toward them. Garnet broke into a run and hugged his Dad’s neck.
“What happened to your head?” Myron asked in concern seeing the bandage.
“We had a minor rockslide on the last trail,” Evan started to tell him.
“There was a slight rumble and then rocks started to pelt me,” Garnet chimed in. “I was knocked off balance. It was a good thing I fell against the wall instead of over the edge.”
Garnet saw the flash of fear in his father’s eyes, and hastened to reassure him that he was fine.
Everyone started talking at once telling about their experience with the landslide and how the ranger thought it was created by someone on purpose.
“So were you hurt in the slide to?” He asked Ava, glancing at her bandaged knee visible below the shorts she wore. .
“No, Crystal and I had a fall earlier. I’m fine. Evan has a cut on his shoulder blade though so don’t pat him on the back,” Ava replied.
“They are releasing Grandpa,” Opal spoke up, changing the subject abruptly. “We are waiting for him to get dressed.”
Big Bend Adventure Page 7
