Fatal Descent

by Beth Groundwater

  With that issue resolved, they quickly loaded the rafts and pushed off into the current. Once underway, Cool pointed out Dead Horse Point above them and told the legend of where the name came from. Cowboys had rounded up wild mustangs on the point and corralled them there with a brush fence across the narrow neck of land onto the point. They picked out the horses they wanted and left the rejects trapped behind the fence to die of thirst within sight of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below.

  “How awful!” wide-eyed Amy said, while her husband just shook his head at her reaction.

  “Here’s a better story about the point, then,” Cool replied. “Remember the scene in Mission Impossible II where Tom Cruise is rock climbing?”

  Peering at the point, Les said, “Sure do. I couldn’t believe that prissy little movie actor would do something so dangerous.”

  “That scene was filmed on the edge of Dead Horse Point. He was on cables, but they erased them in the movie,” Cool answered, “and his stunt double did the riskiest parts.”

  Les snorted. “Figures.” He smugly folded his arms across his chest, as if he could show Tom Cruise a thing or two.

  Mandy said to Les, “I noticed how strong your paddle strokes were this morning. You know, when we unload the rafts at the campsite, we could really use someone athletic like you.”

  The comment had multiple purposes—to butter up Les, to make sure he wasn’t miffed about putting off his beer drinking, and to get him in a helping frame of mind. They really did need help unloading the rafts. Hopefully, if she could get Les to realize pitching in was expected of the clients, the rest of the Anderson family would follow his lead.

  “I guess I could lend a hand,” Les replied. “As long as it doesn’t put off cocktail hour too long.”

  “No problem,” Mandy said. “The more hands we can get in a bucket brigade to unload the gear, the quicker it goes. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes if everyone helps. Then we guides will fix dinner and set up camp while you folks pitch your tents and relax.”

  “I could help,” Amy said timidly.

  Les snorted. “You? Lugging these big sacks?” He patted one of the tent dry bags he had been lounging against. “No, don’t worry your pretty little head over that.”

  “Pitching a tent isn’t very hard,” Mandy offered. “And if you haven’t done it before, one of us could show you how.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Amy said, while Les looked doubtful.

  To continue softening Les, Mandy said to him, “I guess from the looks of you, a corporate security officer has to stay in good shape. What do you do for work, exactly?”

  Les waxed eloquently about the importance of his position, the hush-hush nature, the element of danger. But when Mandy probed further, with appropriate ego-stroking comments about how important it all sounded, it seemed like the job mostly involved paperwork, such as processing and checking on employee clearances. It all sounded like a huge bore to her, but it was easy to feign interest with a remark here and there.

  After a while Mandy tried a couple of times to steer the topic toward Amy and her activities, but Les kept dismissing his wife’s life as trivial and returning the discussion to himself. Finally he yawned mightily, leaned back on the dry bags and pushed his hat over his face to take a nap. Then Mandy and Amy could talk quietly about Amy’s home life.

  Soon, Mandy had trouble stifling her own yawns. There was no way she could tolerate Amy’s sedate, mostly indoors existence, catering to Les’s whims. Mandy mused to herself that if she were in Amy’s shoes, she would go out back and shoot herself—or Les.

  four

  Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms

  you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.

  —elisabeth kübler-ross

  Later that afternoon, the group reached the Little Bridge campsite and tied the rafts to some sturdy tamarisk trunks. Gonzo made hasty work of widening steps that had been cut by a previous party into the tall sand bank rising about five feet above the water. Again, one of the first items unloaded from the raft was the steel box toilet that was set up a discrete distance from camp. Rob then organized a bucket brigade line to pass gear from the rafts up to a wide, sandy area about twenty yards from the river bank. Mandy was glad to see the Andersons pitching in.

  Once the unloading was complete, folks picked tent locations and the guides helped the clients figure out how to pitch their tents. Mandy told everyone to just toss their sleeping bags and gear bags inside the tents, that there would be time to organize their gear later. After folks had grabbed a piece of fruit or a granola bar for a snack—or a beer in Les’s case—she got everyone’s attention.

  “We’re going to divide into two groups, so you have a choice of activities. Cool and Gonzo will take one group over to the cliff wall above us to try some climbing and rappelling.” She swept an arm toward the red sandstone cliff rising above the downstream side of the camp. It was riddled with caves about halfway up, a three-story climb. “You’ll get an awesome view of the river from those caves, so be sure to take your cameras.

  “For those who aren’t feeling so daring, Kendra will lead a short hike back into the canyon. You can take photos there of the wildflowers, the beautiful amphitheater formed by the cliff walls, and any wildlife you see. And, of course, you have the option of doing nothing and hanging out here. Rob and I will stay here to cook dinner. Now, who wants to go with Kendra?”

  Kendra stepped away from the group and held up her hand. As Mandy expected, Diana and Hal Anderson walked toward her. Their daughter Amy did, too, as did Tina Norton. That surprised Mandy, since both of Tina’s parents seemed to be opting for the more adventurous climb.

  “Don’t you want to hike with your daughter?” Elsa asked Paul Norton.

  He shook his head. “I’ve always wanted to try climbing. It’s one of the reasons I came on this trip.” When she frowned, he said quietly, “Let’s just try to get along.”

  That left eight clients with Cool and Gonzo. “Can you handle so many?” Mandy asked Cool.

  Cool began tossing helmets to the people in his group. “Sure, we’ll rig up two belay lines, with Gonzo in charge of one and me in charge of the other.”

  Elsa sidled over next to Cool, and with a sigh, Paul stepped toward Gonzo.

  After explaining how to fit their helmets to their heads, Cool addressed the climbing group. “This will be a short, easy ascent to those caves, to give your climbing muscles a first stretch. After some time for photo ops, we’ll rappel down. This will prepare you for more challenging climbs later.”

  “Just be sure you’re back before dark, so folks can organize their tents before dinner,” Mandy reminded him.

  He gave a quick nod. Then he looped a gear harness across his chest and over a shoulder that clanged with carabiners, removable anchors and other hardware. Next, he shouldered a large backpack stuffed with ropes, gloves, and belay harnesses. Gonzo did the same. After making sure everyone had a full water bottle, they headed for the boulder hill at the base of the cliff.

  In the meantime, Kendra had waited patiently until everyone in her group had dug out a camera and filled water bottles. Though she didn’t need to wear much sunscreen to protect her own black skin, she reminded the others to be sure to put some on. Once everyone was ready, with a nod to Rob and Mandy she led her group into the canyon.

  “Ah, alone at last.” Rob snaked an arm around Mandy’s waist. “Come here, mi querida.”

  After a quick glance around to make sure they were alone, Mandy joined Rob in a kiss that deepened and lasted until she was reeling and wanting more.

  Rob pulled back and gazed into her eyes. “I needed that.”

  “Me, too, and I wish we could finish this in the tent.” Mandy gave his butt a squeeze before releasing her hug. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  With a finger to her lips,
Rob said, “Save my place. We’ll pick this up again later.”

  He winked and headed for the gear pile. They both knew this was the way it would be for the rest of the trip. Quick snatches of alone time when they could find it. But as Mandy watched the muscles bunch in Rob’s sexy thighs while he hefted the camp stove, she smiled. She could always watch him—and anticipate the nights when those thighs would be next to hers.

  They worked companionably together, comparing observations on the clients while they set up the kitchen, handwashing station, three-stage dishwashing station and folding camp tables and chairs. Rob agreed with Mandy that Les Williams was proving to be an ass, but Rob thought he could handle him.

  “You’ve done a good job with him so far,” Mandy said. “I just wish the whole Anderson family would pitch in more.”

  “Hey, they’re on vacation,” Rob said with a shrug. “If they don’t want to pitch in, that’s their privilege. They paid for it.”

  “You’re right,” Mandy said, blowing hair out of her face, “but it’s always the clients who roll up their sleeves who get the most out of these trips. The Andersons don’t know what they’re missing out on.”

  “It’s their loss, not ours. I’m more worried about the Nortons. Keeping Elsa and Paul from arguing and putting a damper on the whole group is going to be tough.”

  “At least the three women have been no problem so far. They’re a lot of fun and enthusiastic.”

  They went to work on the meal. Mandy chopped vegetables and started a pot of rice boiling on the gas stove for stir-fried rice. Rob fried spring rolls on the griddle side of the large gas stove, then set them aside in a covered pot to stay warm while he fried chicken breasts that had been marinated in teriyaki sauce. They stirred up pitchers of lemonade and iced tea and put out s’more makings for dessert later.

  By the time Kendra returned with her group, Mandy and Rob had laid out a buffet line, and all of the food was being kept warm in pots on the stove.

  “See anything interesting?” Mandy asked.

  Amy shrugged. “Some pretty wildflowers. I think I’ll organize our tent and lie down for a bit before Les and the others come back.” She headed for it.

  “That cryptobiotic soil is fascinating,” Hal said. “Some of the crusty mounds were five or six inches high.”

  “I thought they were strange-looking anthills,” Diana said, “until Kendra explained the crust was a mix of lichens, mosses, fungi, algae, and—” She snapped her fingers. “What’s the term for that bacteria again?”

  “Cyanobacteria,” Kendra answered. “The mucus they secrete is what holds the soil clumps together.”

  “And it’s amazing how those teeny tiny organisms can do that huge job of retaining water and controlling erosion.”

  “But only if you don’t step on them,” Kendra said. “You all were great about staying on the trail.”

  “I thought that bridge formation in the back of the canyon was pretty spectacular,” Tina chimed in. “I snapped some good photos of it before we had to head back.”

  “Great,” Mandy said. “You can show them to your folks when they get back.”

  “What can I do to help?” Kendra asked, and before Mandy could answer, Tina said, “Me, too.”

  What a nice change from the Andersons, Mandy thought. “You can collect driftwood for a fire later, Kendra. And Tina, after you wash your hands, you can set out the spring rolls and dipping sauce for an appetizer.”

  Kendra and Tina quickly went to work. In the meantime, Hal Anderson dug their wine box out of the cooler. After asking for cups, he poured white wine for Diana and himself. They sat and drank at one of the camp tables and watched deepening shadows crawl across the river while munching on the spring rolls Tina brought them.

  About a half hour later, as the sun dipped below the pink cliffs behind the campsite, gilding the upper rim golden red, Cool and Gonzo arrived with their group, all chattering enthusiastically about the climb.

  Mandy came out of the tent she was sharing with Rob, where she had been laying out their sleeping bags. She flashed a greeting smile at the group. “How’d everyone do?”

  Les pumped a fist in the air. “I was first to the top.”

  “After the guides, that is,” Alice added.

  “Well, of course,” Les said with a scowl. “They had to set up the route. But I beat your bro fair and square.”

  “Were you racing?” Mandy asked.

  “Not really,” Alex replied as he dug a beer out of one of the coolers and tossed it to Les. He popped the top on another one, drank some, and let out a satisfied “Ah,” then smacked his lips. “Les and I were the first two to go up, so of course, he turned it into a race.”

  Hand on his hip, Les said, “Why not? Adds an element of excitement.” He looked around. “Where’s Amy?”

  “Napping in your tent, I think.” Mandy pointed.

  Before walking away, Les said, “You shouldn’t feel bad, Alex. At least you didn’t get beat by a girl, like Paulie boy here.”

  Paul bared his teeth in a nervous smile, looked at his daughter and explained, “Elsa and I went next, and she reached the top before me.”

  Mandy glanced at Elsa, who quickly wiped a triumphant smirk off her face. In a nonchalant tone, she said to Tina, “Your father and I weren’t really racing. It just turned out that we got on the two ropes at the same time.”

  I bet, Mandy thought. Elsa, like Les, seemed to have that type A personality that grabbed at competition whenever it could. These were the type of clients that Meander Canyon was best for, cutting them off from their electronic devices and forcing them to slow down and savor life.

  Cool came up behind Alice Anderson and Betsy Saunders and draped an arm over each, pulling them close to him. “The lovely ladies did great, too,” he said with a salacious grin.

  Alice slid out of his grasp. “I’m going to clean up before dinner.” She walked away.

  Still holding on to Betsy, Cool tried to throw an arm around Mo Heedle’s shoulders, but both women twirled out of his grasp.

  “We’re going to clean up, too,” Mo stated firmly, and the three women headed for their large tent.

  Mandy frowned. The last thing she wanted was Cool carrying the flirtation thing too far and pissing off the female clients. RM Outdoor Adventures couldn’t afford to deal with a sexual harassment lawsuit.

  Left with empty arms, Cool gave a shrug and went to work stowing the climbing gear back in one of the rafts. Gonzo snatched a spring roll and gave a toodle-oo wave with his fingers to Kendra before going to help Cool.

  Mandy raised an eyebrow at Rob, but she couldn’t really say anything to him about Cool in front of the others. They would have to talk about him later in the privacy of their tent.

  _____

  Everyone had worked up an appetite. They descended on the Chinese meal like a swarm of locusts on a cornfield and stripped the pots bare. Dusk had descended, so the camping lanterns had been brought out and lit, and most of the group had applied bug repellant or donned long-sleeved shirts and pants.

  Exhausted now after her mostly sleepless night and work-filled day, Mandy struggled to maintain a perky smile and posture. She silently calculated how long it would take to clean up and put the campsite right before she could crawl into her sleeping bag.

  Too long.

  The clients had all settled back into camp chairs with s’mores and mugs of decaf or regular coffee. The three girlfriends passed around photos of their families to show the others. Kendra roasted marshmallows over the small driftwood fire burning in the metal fire pan for those who wanted seconds on dessert. She slapped Gonzo’s hand playfully when he grabbed a chocolate bar to eat by itself.

  Rob started a discussion on the differences between Meander Canyon, with its slow-moving flatwater, and Cataract Canyon, with its whitewater rapids. Cataract also had tw
ice the water volume, from the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers. Both canyons had their pluses. Meander Canyon offered more chances to interact with nature and examine the geology and history of the Utah Canyonlands while taking hiking, swimming, and climbing breaks. Cataract Canyon offered the thrill of surfing an almost continuous string of roaring rapids—an hours-long roller coaster ride.

  Rob leaned forward in his chair. “Here’s a challenge. I’d like each of you to choose which canyon you think you’re going to enjoy the most. At the end of the trip, we’ll talk about this again to see if anyone changes their mind. Surprisingly, I’ve been told that a lot of people do.”

  By then, Mandy felt sure she could predict which canyon each of their clients would say they preferred, but she listened carefully to see if her people-reading skills were right.

  Of course, the older Andersons, Diana and Hal, chose Meander Canyon, especially Diana. With a shudder, she said, “I’m still worried about those huge crashing waves in Cataract Canyon that I keep imagining.”

  Alex laughed and patted his mother’s hand. “You’ll end up whooping and hollering like the rest of us. I guarantee it! And, of course I choose Cataract Canyon. If there was a way to get there without going through this slow stuff, I’d probably do it.”

  As Mandy expected, the type-A personalities of Elsa Norton and Les Williams chose Cataract Canyon. Alice Anderson, too, who had looked so bored during that day’s float downriver, chose Cataract Canyon.

  Betsy, Viv, and Mo spent a lot of time discussing the choice. They noted their interests in animal tracking, bird-watching, and wildflower identification, respectively, and said they had enjoyed the quiet float and challenging climb that day. However, they all had a sense of adventure, too. They wound up refusing to choose, no matter how much Rob needled them, saying they had chosen the trip for both and thought they would like both equally.

  When her turn came, Amy shyly looked in her lap. “I think Meander Canyon is beautiful, but I can’t wait to see the rapids in Cataract Canyon.”