Into the High Country

by T J Reeder

  We took time to set up a nice camp, tents for us and the gear, let the animals loose to graze, they had become used to staying close to us so hobbles weren’t an issue. Buck and Rab and the un-named horse would stay close for sure and the mules weren’t leaving Buck so it worked out. Walker was out on patrol so everything in the neighborhood was quiet.

  Camp was set up and it was time. The girls were stripped before I got my boots off and just fell into the water, they came up sputtering and saying “Hot! Hot!” I being older and wiser stepped in slowly, easing in until I was jumped and dumped in. I came up sputtering “Hot!!” Life is never boring around these two. We floated around and turned wrinkled. Try as they might, they couldn’t get Walker to fall for it. It made me remember grabbing Molly and pulling her into the hot pool long ago. Sandy smiled at me and I knew she was remembering it too. She told May about it which made them redouble their efforts but Walker wasn’t buying it.

  We worked at making a really good supper and with the big coffee pot going it was very nice. The spring was in a clearing and I knew come full dark I for one was going to be floating in the hot water watching the stars, Sandy said “WE, buddy boy,” May said “yeah, just try doing it alone” Yep life’s a strange thing.

  With morning came the urge for fresh meat, so I took my 308 with the can on it and headed down the creek fed by the spring. I didn’t go three hundred yards when I spotted several does. One was dry and she fell with a head shot. Just as I was done dressing her May led Buck up with a pack saddle on him. We tossed the deer over the bows and headed to camp.

  After hanging and skinning the deer a ways from camp and cutting out the back straps I headed for the pool to clean up and was soon joined by the girls. We were loving this place. Sandy suddenly sat up scaring me into reaching for the 45 laying by the pool, she laughed and said “no! I have an idea!” She then said “Why can’t we find a hot springs to winter by? Build a good shelter and just spend the winter?” I agreed as did May but there was the small issue of all the livestock to be fed and up high there just wasn’t enough graze for them to winter. That was a balloon popper for all of us, but it was something to think about. All hot springs aren’t in the high up places it just seems that way. But grazing was an issue regardless of where we stayed, that was a given.

  But I liked the idea as did May so we talked about it and decided if we worked at it we could locate a good place and then prep for it. So out came the maps where we located every hot spring as marked by the US Gov. on the USFS maps. It is surprising just how many hot water springs there are. Most are located in areas so far from civilization that nobody really ever gets to them except the hard core hikers. Also there were a lot of USFS camps where they had cabins and barns with corrals used when they had trail building crews out. And that was an idea.

  We planned to stay in this spot for a few days so I got a few more deer and we made up jerky. Walker really liked this plan. I tried to tell the girls “Don’t feed him raw deer meat” but they ignored me and we all paid for it. They finally made him go sleep elsewhere, poor dog had no idea why.

  We loaded up and headed out with a purpose now, to locate a place to winter which we needed one way or the other but it would be better if it was what we wanted not what was forced on us by the weather.

  But we did have time so we kept heading north but more west too. I wanted to stop off in three places to see folks we had met when we were heading south and see how they were doing. And for some reason I wanted to revisit where it all started; in the little camp ground where my truck and trailer are still parked. Silly I know but there it is.

  The first place on our list was the town of Timberline where we helped the townspeople out in a battle with raiders. Also, where we ended up getting the Dodge truck and trailer we used to get home in, and which was now parked in the Canyon settlement on Lake Powell. I was hopeful that these good folks had survived and were prospering.

  We spent two weeks heading more NW than north and arrived in the hills around Timberline in the evening hours and once again found ourselves sitting on a hill looking at the lights of a town and wondering if they had prospered or been taken over.

  Morning would have the answer, so we settled into a gully with a stream running through it, trickle would be a better word but it was water. We found the usual curve in the gully and the usual deeper spot where the water cuts out a hole making its turn.

  After we watered the stock and it had cleared we got a small fire going and coffee on. While that was boiling we peeled off and eased into the cold water. It was run off from snow melt in the far off mountains, but thank god it had time to warm a bit. As it was we lasted long enough to get clean but no playing as was the usual thing.

  Dressed in sweats and moccasins we fixed some dinner of rice and beans that had been soaking all day. May cut up some bits of jerky and put them in it and added a goodly shot of hot sauce to give it kick and dinner was ready. Hot sweet coffee laced with “Who Shot John” and we were in business. Walker had several chunks of jerky, his system was used to it now and he didn’t stink us out. But it had been a rough time for a while.

  We slept good since we had pushed hard for days to get here, and the animals were tearing up the grass growing in the wash. We let the fire burn down and lay watching for the flash of satellites passing through the darkness of space and as always wondered if they were still working.

  Morning found us up and ready to pull out an hour or so after full sun up. We could hear distant voices and the sound of an axe chopping wood. One sound we heard that signaled good was the sound of children laughing. But not being the dull tack in the box I laid on a hill with the glasses and watched for a bit and before long I spotted Jim Barttle heading down the street looking around. He was carrying his rifle as were just about everybody I saw out in the open, so this was all good.

  We rode out into the open as far out as we could to give them time to see us and soon I heard the sound of a steel pipe being whacked with a pipe or something. People were getting out of sight and I saw windows opening and rifle barrels sticking out. I took my hat off and waved it while Sandy rode up beside me and waved her hat.

  I saw Jim come into sight and a big smile showed through his beard. He was joined by his brother Sam and brother-in-law William who had really filled out from the skinny kid from two years ago. They just waited and smiled watching us ride in and as soon as our feet hit the ground we were caught in the hand shaking hugging back pounding of true friends. After it all settled down I walked over and handed May down and introduced her to them. It was a bit awkward for a second until Sandy piped up and said “She’s our wife.” They all busted out laughing and welcomed May as family.

  They got us settled in the same house we had used before. The barn was too small for the extra three mules and one horse so since the weather was good we just left them all in the big corral. After filling the big water trough we headed to the town hall / saloon where we spent half the day telling of our experiences since we left here. They were very interested in the Chicago information since there had been a few people traveling through the area trying to get to some family place. They had said that Chicago was gone, just a pile of radioactive slag. I let May explain about the whole bomb thing and how we had all first met.

  They were horrified at the cannibal story and happy we had ended that mess. Thrilled at the whole adventure of the “Army” and everything we had done.

  I was more interested in finding out how they had faired. Their news was all good. After Sandy and I left they worked their butts off building the place into a fort. They had made some fantastic improvements to their security. They had used heavy equipment to build a triangle shaped wall around the whole place with heavy bunkers on the points where shooters could cover every inch of the wall. We had looked at it on the way in but up close it was something else. Anybody making it over the wall would fall into a deep trench with sheer walls, filled with sharpened stakes and barbed wire all through it.

>   On the inside of the trench was another trench with fighting positions that allowed firing down into the pit. It was by far the toughest looking thing I’d seen since a long time ago and this one was even better. These folks could live in their fighting positions for a good while. They had taken every old vehicle they could find and used them to make walkways that allowed movement within the compound area from cover.

  Hell, they had even filled the vehicles with sand. After getting inside the walkways I saw access to get under the vehicles, climbing down under one of the cars I found a bunker with a bare few inches between the bottom of the car and the ground, allowing plenty of room to fight from. All the gas tanks had been stripped out to prevent fire.

  I was more than impressed and said so, and asked where all this idea came from. Jim said they had found a bunch of old Soldiers of Fortune Magazines with a lot of stories from the ‘Nam war with pictures so they read them all and turned their imaginations loose and the results was a compound that would take artillery or mortars plus a huge mass of ground troops to breach. What they needed that they didn’t have was a few of the M-60 machine guns we had at Fort Navajo.

  I said how about the low hills where we fought the raiders from? High ground could be an issue and that got a smile from Jim. He led us around one of the buildings and pointed, and it took me a minute to realize the low hills were gone.

  They had bulldozed them flat and were growing pasture for their horses, all fenced in with a very sturdy barbed wire fence. There was a dirt enclosed wall that covered the animals from gun fire and a couple of bunkers on top of the wall of dirt.

  This was the most fortified place we had seen outside of Fort Navajo. It was wild, every inch of open soil inside the fort was planted in food plants but the ladies had planted planters with flowers to make it less gloomy.

  Over a drink in the saloon I asked if they had had so much trouble that this whole fort thing was really necessary. They said outside of some half assed attempts by some roving raiders they had no problems they couldn’t handle. They said there was talk of a large gang raiding outlying places like this one but so far they hadn’t got here.

  This was worrisome news since we had seen what these gangs can do. I needed time to think about it but I already had an idea I just needed to iron it out. I had only planned for us to stay around for a week or so but that might change.

  They still used the community kitchen /chow hall system so many others were using because it fed more people with less waste. Plus it made for a stronger sense of community and helped people to share problems and find solutions to problems that could eventually hurt the whole group.

  These folks really had it together and this was what it would take to rebuild America. So it was a fact that helping them was number one on my list. Sandy and May were helping out with the evening meal which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the ladies, and after a bit one just came out and asked about our triangle marriage. So the girls told them with lots of giggling from all of them, and I was starting to feel eyes on me. Damn girls I hate ‘em.

  After dinner I spent time with Jim and his committee. My main point of interest was if they had established any communications. They had but hadn’t needed it since they were holding a low profile to avoid attracting unwanted attention. This was good news and come morning I met with them in the communications shack bringing the girls with me.

  I played with the dials adjusting the frequencies until I had it where I wanted it. Then I started calling Fort Navajo and within a few minutes I had them. I asked if they had contact with Charley and they did. I really wanted to talk to him but we just weren’t going to make contact. I explained that I needed one of Charley’s talkers which they took care of. Soon one of the lads came on saying “Howdy John!” I laughed at the lack of formal radio procedure. I asked him if he could try to translate what Sandy was going to say but keep it to himself, not repeating it on the air. He said he understood.

  What followed was a long and frustrating at times conversation in Navajo or kinda. But in the end Jimmy said he had it and that Sandy had really improved a lot. He said he would get back asap and we signed off. It took less than an hour and he called back and in English said “Charley got it and said he would handle it and to give him a few days.”

  That was great news and while Jim and his guys waited I said “I’ll tell you if it works but not till then, I hate disappointing people.”

  I then said we needed to take a drive, so taking a truck me and the girls took a scouting trip with the maps and found what we were looking for about 20 miles away. With a little preplanning it was going to do just fine.

  Two days later the call came in at the time we agreed to be on the air, and I was surprised to hear Charley. He said him and Ralph had dropped into the fort for a visit and were working on something. He said he understood the message and that Sandy was improving but that the idea wasn’t practical according to Ralph due to fuel issues, but. It was only about 500 miles more or less from the Fort to where we were. Driving up would be much easier and with several drivers it could be done nonstop. He figured 2 HV’s and a truck. I agreed. He said the load would be on its way in an hour! I started to ask then figured he had already taken care of the load out and was prepared to drive the load up here all along.

  After clearing off with Charley I explained to Jim and his people just what I had in mind. He was astounded as was his committee. I told them to relax because the load would be here before they knew it.

  We spent the next couple of days just resting and watching how well these folks worked together. If we could get enough towns like this going we would rebuild our country in my lifetime. We had all the materials in the world to work with, we had the people, knowledge, everything. The only thing was giving people a peaceful and safe way of life so they could work and build. That we could give, a lot of us weren’t much as builders but we could sure keep the wolves away from the door while the builders built.

  I believed the bigger gangs were about done, it’s mostly just cleaning up the smaller pockets but we have no idea what’s lurking in the cities. I often wonder if one day a giant army of gang bangers mixed with god knows who or what will come roaring out into the heartland.

  More than fear it, I fully expect it and they will be the worst enemy we have faced bar none. After surviving in the wastelands of the cities they will be a tough vicious killing machine. And we will have to stop them because we simply cannot lose the heartland because this is where the skills to rebuild will be found. And we cannot let it die.

  I was wondering where these thoughts were coming from, since I’m on vacation! And not in the least interested in hunting for more enemies. I seem to stumble over way too many way too often.

  One morning one of the young boys Jim used as runners came pounding on the door waking the whole town so I got up and went to check it out. He was bouncing like a rubber ball. I had to smile at his exuberance he had to be all of seven years old, I asked what he was doing beating my door down in a gruff voice, his eyes got big and he sputtered “They’re here!”

  “Who’s here?” I asked while looking all around behind him, “Them!” He said. I was starting to enjoy this early morning fun, so I said “but I don’t see them.” He started bouncing and said “No! they ain’t here!”

  “But you said they are here!”

  “They are here!!”

  “But where?” I asked, looking around. Then my ear started hurting really bad and I realized somebody was pulling it. I knew it was a redheaded fun pooper, and it was. She pulled my head around and pushed me at the other bad sport who pulled me out of the room while Sandy squatted down to eye level and talked to the little messenger. Damn it, I was just having fun with the kid but these two are just sticks in the mud.

  “John, we heard that.” Shit. “Heard that too. Wanna sleep alone?” I just decided I’d ignore them and prove I was the more adult. They laughed. I hate them both. “Do not.” It’s like having a conversation with
shadows.

  The message was that the crew from down south was here or close anyway. We got dressed and trotted to the comm shack. I grabbed the mike and said “John here,” the voice boomed in saying they were within sight so we headed out the door to the main gate in the wall and saw a dust cloud rolling at us. Out of the dust rolled a Humvee with the gunner standing up behind the gun, shortly a six by rolled into sight then another HV.

  All had their guns up and scanning. Jim had the blocking vehicles rolled aside and the convoy rolled in. I wasn’t a bit surprised when Charley stepped out of the first HV. I had had a feeling when he rushed to the Fort that he was getting restless sitting around being the elder. I was so glad to see him, I truly missed him and his wisdom but mostly I just missed my brother.

  Sandy ran to him and at the last second stopped and made a hand sign which I guess is a Navajo version of a hug. He smiled and said something to her. I watched her pause and process it then smile and say something back. May walked to him and said something which caused Charley to straighten up and blink, then he smiled big and said something. May spoke again and Charley placed his hand on her shoulder and made a hand sign.

  Then he looked at me and as we met he offered his hand. So we shook hands as he looked in my eyes and nodded. Whatever it was would come later. I made the introductions to Jim and his staff and walked them to the six by which had a canvas covered load. The scout team uncovered the load and started sliding crates off the back of the truck where Jims people took them and carried them into the building they used as a store house. When the truck was empty we gathered in the house and the lads opened a crate and removed one of two M-60 machine guns causing Jims eyes to pop. One of his men said “OK!! Pigs!” I knew right then he was going to be their main trainer.