Trail Blazer

by Nicolette Dane

  After what seemed like a never-ending set of slate stone stairs, the girls hiked together through a stand of birch trees along the path toward their stopping point for the night. It didn’t take all that long to arrive at Logan Brook Shelter. On their way in, Piggy and Nova pondered whether or not they might see Quill at the shelter. She very well could have decided to stop early. But when they finally got to the encampment, they discovered they were alone and they just smiled and shrugged.

  They decided to pitch the tent for the night, allowing any travelers arriving in the dark to have free use of the shelter itself. The shelter, like the others, was small and looked like a log cabin with a tin roof, one side of the structure completely open. Piggy found a private spot a little distance away from it and began setting the tent up, while Nova broke out the camp stove and started dinner.

  Nova took out two vacuum-sealed packages of three-bean chili that they had bought at the general store in Monson, opened them with her pocket knife, and emptied them into their pot. She sauced it up with a little water, and began heating it over the fire. Watching Piggy work on the tent, Nova rested on a rock with her shoes off, and quickly sucked down a small packet of peanut butter as she waited for the chili to come to temperature.

  “This is good,” moaned Piggy after shoving a spoonful of chili in her mouth. The girls shared the pot between them, as they each dug in with their own spoon. “You never really realize how good food tastes until you hike almost fifty miles in three days.” Nova laughed tiredly.

  “I’m going to sleep so well tonight,” Nova replied. “My legs feel like jelly.”

  “Are your blisters okay?”

  “They’re okay,” Nova offered. “You kind of get used to it, you know? The pain doesn’t always register.”

  “That’s true,” agreed Piggy. “Sometimes I just get really tingly in my legs and get focused on that instead of my feet. I guess that’s good?” She laughed and shrugged.

  “I don’t know,” Nova said, mirroring her laugh.

  “I’m going to eat more than my fair share,” Piggy said, pulling back from the pot of chili. “I feel like I’m inhaling it. You eat.”

  “If you’re still hungry, I have another peanut butter packet in my hip belt,” Nova said, pointing to her backpack on the ground.

  “Great,” Piggy said. She stood and moved to Nova’s pack, then she leaned down and unzipped the pocket on the hip belt. Piggy came back up with a small white package of peanut butter and she speedily opened it and sucked it down.

  “Chili and peanut butter, am I right?” teased Nova. Piggy laughed.

  “You never think they’d go together,” Piggy said. “Turns out, they do if you burned five thousand calories in a day and you’re famished.”

  “I’ve never been so hungry,” said Nova, spooning another bite of chili into her mouth.

  As Nova continued to eat, Piggy went to her own backpack and removed a bundle of paracord. She then moved to a tree and tied one part of the cord to a low branch. Next, she walked ten feet or so to another tree, tied the other end of the paracord there, and tested the tightness. Nova watched as she worked, enjoying her dinner and her moment to relax.

  “We should hang up some clothes over night to see if we can dry them out,” Piggy advised. “I’m feeling swampy, and if we don’t get these clothes dried we might start chaffing.”

  “Good idea,” Nova said, offering a thumbs up.

  Piggy then crossed her arms and pulled her shirt up over her head, leaving her standing there in just her shorts and a sports bra. She draped her shirt over the makeshift clothes line and adjusted it so that it wouldn’t fall. She smiled satisfied at her work.

  After cleaning up the remnants of their dinner, packing their gear away, and hanging their food bag up in a tree, the girls began closing down for the evening. Still nobody had shown up at the shelter and without a care in the world, Piggy and Nova removed their clothes and hung everything they wore, even their socks and underwear, from the paracord clothes line. It had quickly become dark, and with the aid of Piggy’s headlamp, they crawled into their small tent and got comfortable.

  It was a relief to be naked, as the sweaty clothes had been weighing them down. And inside of the tent, with their sleeping bags open, the girls embraced and slowly kissed one another without saying much at all. Although their feet and legs ached, the affections they gave one another felt like a panacea for all their exhaustion. Soon enough, though, that exhaustion got the better of them, and Piggy and Nova fell asleep, sticky bodies pressed up against one another, cradled in each other’s loving arms.

  By day four, Piggy and Nova had pretty well acclimated to trail life and the ups and downs it brought them, both literally and figuratively. Although they had already climbed the tallest point of their trip and they would mostly be heading down hill from here, they still had a big climb in Little Boardman Mountain. They hiked downhill for three or four miles at the beginning of their day, hit East Branch Shelter, and then made their way up the mountain.

  The day had begun overcast, but it soon cleared up and they got a pretty nice view of the surrounding landscape from atop Little Boardman. Nothing like White Cap Mountain, but out here in the deep wilderness, whenever they got views it was always impressive. On top of Little Boardman, they met a group of thru-hikers doing the AT and found out they had stayed at Logan Brook Shelter the night before, the same shelter the girls camped near. But these hikers had arrived late, left early, and were really pushing their pace. After some pleasantries, the hikers took off while Piggy and Nova lingered for a bit, taking their time.

  The early plan for the day was to meet Theo in the resupply van around noon. It was just a mile or two downhill from Little Boardman to get to Kokadjo B Pond Road, where they were told Theo would be waiting. But when they got there, all they found was a desolate, winding, dirty road.

  “No service,” mused Piggy, staring down into her phone. “What about you?”

  “Nope,” replied Nova, also holding her phone. After a moment, they both put their phones away as they would be no help.

  With their packs on the ground, the girls stood there in silence for a few moments, looking to either side of the road, trying to will the van to arrive with their food.

  “I’m sure they’ll come soon,” said Piggy, trying to stay positive. “They know we’re out here and they know we don’t have enough food for the second half of the hike.”

  “How many miles are we supposed to do today?” Nova asked with a tiredness in her voice.

  “Twenty,” said Piggy. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Gretchen, I’m tired,” Nova admitted, using Piggy’s real name, which she hadn’t done in a couple days.

  “I know,” said Piggy empathetically. “We don’t have any more inclines to hike today, it’s steady and downhill for the rest of the day. Did you put sunscreen on?”

  “I forgot,” said Nova.

  Piggy nodded and reached down into her pack, removing a tube of sunscreen. Approaching Nova, she squirted a glob of it into her hand and began to rub it into Nova’s bare shoulders and arms. Nova smiled gently, her eyes closing, as Piggy rubbed her down.

  Then, in the distance, the feint sounds of tires could be heard rolling and crackling over the dirt road. Nova opened her eyes once more, and together she and Piggy saw a silver van heading their way.

  “Yes!” Nova cheered with a clenched fist. “He’s here.”

  When the van pulled up, it had the Hiker Hostel’s name written on the side and the girls grew even more excited. Although it had been nice to hike in packs without food weight, they were eager to resupply their stash so that they could get back on the trail.

  “Yo,” said Theo after stepping out of the driver’s side and coming around back. “Gretchen and Naomi?”

  “Yes!” the girls said in unison with big grins. They were so happy to see Theo, a gangly hippie guy with dirty-looking dreadlocks, a Hiker Hostel t-shirt, and jeans.

  “Awesome
,” said Theo. He opened the back of the van and pulled a few bags close. “Here’s your stuff. How’s the hike been?”

  “Great,” said Piggy as she began rifling through the bags. As she pulled stuff out, food packages that were very similar to what they had brought on the first leg of the trip, she handed it back to Nova. “But we ate the last of our food this morning. We’re so happy to see you.”

  “Nice,” Theo replied. “You both look in good spirits. I see a lot of people at this point, and it’s not uncommon for the fatigue to really set in. Last week I had a dude ask me to just take him back. I’m glad you girls are pressing on.”

  “Maybe I’ll head back,” teased Nova with a weary grin. It was obviously in jest, as her attitude had been revitalized with Theo’s arrival.

  “We’re finishing this thing,” countered Piggy. “We’re so close.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” said Theo, reaching into the van and pulling a cooler closer. He opened the cooler up and produced two cans of light beer and the girls’ eyes lit up. When he handed them over to them, the cans felt impossibly cold and they shimmered in the sunlight.

  “Oh my God,” Piggy said, eyes wide as she looked down at the can in her hand.

  “Courtesy of the Hostel,” Theo said with a smile. “I’m sure those will taste amazing.”

  “I feel like I can already taste it,” Nova remarked, holding the can up and staring at it.

  “Thank you,” said Piggy with serious sincerity, looking Theo in the eyes. “This is amazing.”

  “No sweat,” he replied. “If you got everything, I should get moving. I’ve got to head to Abol Bridge to pick some people up. How far are you trying to make it today?”

  “We plan to get to the Antlers campsite by dusk,” Piggy said. Both she and Nova had packed all the food they felt they would need, and left a few items in the bags to be send back with Theo.

  “That’s doable,” said Theo. “You’re at a real level spot. Shouldn’t be hard at all. And the lake at Antlers is beautiful. You’ll love it.”

  “Nice,” said Nova. “We could use the break.”

  “All right, then,” said Theo. “I’ll probably see you in a few days at the finish line. We’re looking at seven at night for the pickup, yeah?”

  “That sounds about right,” said Piggy. “If we hit any snags, we’ll try to call. But we’re not getting as good of service out here as some people told us.”

  “It comes in and out,” said Theo. “Let us know if you can.” He smiled and waved at them, and then made his way back to the driver’s side and got into the van.

  “Thank you!” Piggy and Nova called out together, waving at Theo.

  “Enjoy the beers!” he replied. With one more smile, Theo started up the van and took off down the dusty road, leaving the girls there, once more, all alone.

  Back on the trail, the cold beers were a huge pick-me-up. Never had a cheap light beer tasted so good. Piggy and Nova were both in great spirits, laughing and joking together. The sky was clear now and the sun was shining, and the hiking was as easy as it had ever been on the entire trip. They had each stowed a hiking pole on their packs, hiking now with a pole in one hand and a beer in the other.

  The next dozen or so miles were easy, as they both nursed their beers and moved at a steady clip. The stretch they were on was mostly uneventful and flat, but they made the best of it and chatted about life. They had obviously grown much closer to one another over the course of this short but difficult trek, though they hadn’t put any labels on what was happening between them. They were simply living in the moment.

  “I’m happy about things,” Nova said with a newfound confidence. “I’m very fortunate and I shouldn’t take that for granted.”

  “Absolutely,” agreed Piggy.

  “I know I’ve got some work to do and I need to figure some life stuff out,” she continued. “But that’s okay. I just have to start making moves and making decisions.”

  “What kind of moves?”

  “Well, I need to get out of my parents’ house,” Nova declared. “Even if I’m in the cottage out back, I still rely on them for too much. I think if you and I got an apartment together at Timberline, that would be amazing.” Piggy smiled.

  “It would,” she agreed. “I think we absolutely should do that, when my current lease ends.”

  “Totally,” said Nova. “And after that, I’ve got to figure out what I’m going to do for work. I can’t keep working at Dune City. It’s just not enough money to survive and thrive, you know?”

  “Oh, I know,” said Piggy. “That’s why I work two jobs.” She paused and thought for a moment. “You might consider doing what I used to do, work as a teller at a credit union. It’s full-time, the pay is decent, there are usually good benefits. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree. And there are so many credit unions in Traverse City, you’ll probably be able to get in at one.”

  “What’s the difference between a bank and a credit union?”

  “Well,” Piggy continued. “A bank is usually for-profit, while credit unions are often not-for-profit or community driven. The idea is that they’re a cooperative, and depositors are technically owners. Or, well, members. Ultimately, they’re just more about actually helping people as opposed to a big bank that is really only looking out for itself.”

  “Huh,” Nova replied. “I didn’t know that. So you think I could get a job as a teller without a bachelor’s degree?”

  “Sure,” said Piggy enthusiastically. “And it might be a good step for you. You never know where you could move from that position.”

  “Okay,” Nova said, a bright smile moving over her face. “When we get back, I’ll apply to work at a credit union and see what happens. I’ll definitely give it a try.”

  “Maybe I’ll go back, too,” Piggy said, smiling and shrugging.

  “Back to Lansing?” said Nova, speaking with a hint of fear.

  “Oh no,” Piggy corrected. “No, I mean… go back to working at a credit union. I don’t know. We’ll see.”

  “Maybe we could work together,” beamed Nova, reaching over and putting her hand on Piggy’s arm.

  “Maybe,” Piggy said, still smiling. “Maybe we will.”

  After a full day of hiking, putting almost twenty miles behind them, Piggy and Nova reached the Antlers campsite just before the sun started to set. After setting up camp on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into the lake, they eagerly pulled their shoes and socks off and waded into the water. The lake felt cool on their aching feet, and the still water seemed to stretch out endlessly. It was one of the more beautiful bodies of water they had seen on their trip.

  “I wish I could tear all my clothes off,” Nova declared, the water rising just below her knees, her eyes fixed on another group of hikers sauntering into the campsite for the evening. “I could really use a skinny dip.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky in the morning,” Piggy said with a smile. “And they’ll all take off early.”

  “Think we can have a lazy morning tomorrow?”

  “I think so,” confirmed Piggy. “By my count, we’re right around sixty-three miles for the hike so far.”

  “You’re kidding me!” Nova blurted out, her voice echoing over the lake and she punctuated her surprise with a laugh. “Holy cow. It just doesn’t seem real, Piggy. We’ve already done sixty-three miles?”

  “Yep,” said Piggy with a grin. “Hard to believe.”

  “So just thirty-seven left,” Nova worked out.

  “We’re looking at just over eighteen the next two days,” Piggy offered. “But I’m thinking they should be relatively easy. We’re heading down.”

  “We’re past the midpoint,” Nova mused. “I really can’t believe it. Never in my life could I see myself doing something like this. And here I am, almost done.”

  “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it,” said Piggy. “People do this hike all the time. Why not us?”

  “Why not us,” No
va repeated with a big smile. In the dwindling sunlight, Nova looked absolutely gorgeous standing there in the water. She wore a tank and her shorts, and her pale skin was now sun kissed and pink on her shoulders and chest. Even her face was getting a bit of color, and the sun made her freckling more prominent. Piggy admired her silently, also wearing a big smile. She wondered what Nova thought about the two of them together. She wondered if Nova felt the same way, or if it was just some sort of trail magic that had injected romance into their adventure.

  “Hey,” Piggy said softly, reaching out and delicately touching Nova’s arm.

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s… going on here?” Piggy asked, putting her cards out on the table. “I mean with us.”

  “With us?” posited Nova, her face transforming from pure joy to caution and worry.

  “Yeah, like…” Piggy begun, averting her eyes for a moment as she tried to put it to words. “Starting with our kiss when we bathed in the river. And everything else that’s been happening between us. Sleeping naked together. Kissing. I’m not crazy, right? That all happened.”

  “Yeah,” said Nova with trepidation. She was unsure what to say.

  “I guess I was just under the impression that you were straight,” Piggy said clearly. She knew inside, however, that Nova’s feelings weren’t so defined. But she wanted to give Nova the opportunity to speak for herself.

  “I don’t know,” Nova replied, slowly gaining some confidence thanks to Piggy’s softness. “I thought I was for a long time, or that I was supposed to be. But you know, I’ve told you things that might indicate otherwise…”

  “You’ve done things that might indicate otherwise,” Piggy replied with a smile. Nova laughed gently.

  “I know,” she said. Nova looked down for a moment, kneading her hands together as she worked up the courage to speak further. Soon enough, she looked back up at a smiling Piggy. “Ever since I met you, and I knew you were gay and open about it and happy with your life and doing cool stuff, I was just really inspired by you. And really attracted to you. You’re just… you’re this amazing woman who knows herself and you’re confident and strong in how you live. That’s how I want to be. When I’m with you, I feel it. And when I’m not, I get scared again. Like I’ll never have the kind of life you have.”