Wilderness Challenge - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

         Candi woke to full sunshine through the window near her bed.  Excitement tugged as she recalled the events of the day before.  Her newly worked muscles also reminded her of her previous day’s activities as she climbed out of bed.

         Her bath.  She hadn’t had the opportunity to look into the bathhouse the night before and shuddered to think what it would look like.  True, Bart had told her they put in a new tub for her, but she wondered how long ago they had done so.  She dressed and went through the back door to the bathhouse.  When she opened the door she realized she needed a lantern.  There were no windows, only a tub that sat in the middle of the room.

         She retraced her steps back to the house, found a lantern, and lit it before she returned to the bathhouse.  A hook hung from the center of the ceiling where she hung the lantern.  There were pegs near the door for a towel and change of clothes.  The bathhouse was in desperate need of cleaning before she could consider using it on a daily basis.  The tub was new, copper with two rings on the side for a towel and washcloth.  She looked in and saw a drain in the center, handy.  Free standing at the end of the tub was a floor mounted faucet system.  She wondered.  Turning the knob, cold water rushed into the tub.  She turned it off, and watched it disappear through the drain.  The plug rested in the bottom.  Before she would consider a bath, however, she needed to clean the room.  Cobwebs filled every corner, and leaves and other debris littered the floor.  The first thing she needed to do was heat water for her bath, and while it heated, she would take a bucket and broom to the rest of the bathhouse.

         An hour later she stood back and looked at the clean room, even the tub shown in the glow of the lantern.  She was ready for her bath.

         Before the morning was over she grabbed hold of her new way of life as she sang to the worship music from her radio.  It didn’t take long before the breakfast dishes were on the drain board and her Bible study finished before she started on the work Mr. Mills provided her.  A smile etched itself across her face as she dug out the work.

         With coffee before her, she opened the file folder for her first day’s work.  Mr. Mills gave her a month’s worth of work, which she arranged according to date needed, and placed in file folders marked accordingly before she left Minneapolis.

         Rascal began a low bark, and whine.  Candi heard the sound of hoof beats and looked at her watch.  She had just refilled her cup for the third time and realized she could use the break.  She stepped out the door, Rascal at her heels amazed to see two smartly dressed rangers, and a woman of middle age.

         “Howdy miss.  We came to introduce ourselves.  We saw your arrival yesterday, and hope you’re settling in okay.  My name’s Stanley Morrison, my wife Sandra, also a ranger, and my partner Harvey Bennett.”

         “Hi.  Please, come in.  I have some fresh coffee on the stove.”  Candi tried to make herself heard above Rascal’s bark.  “Rascal, hush!  I’m sorry, my name is Candi Martin, and this is Rascal.  He’s usually friendly, but he is a good watchdog.  We’ll be staying here for the next year.”

         “Alone?”  Sandra was surprised, as the three dismounted and mounted the steps.

         “I prefer it that way.  I’m not one much for people.  Oh don’t worry.  I’ve done quite a lot of camping, hiking, and rafting.  I’m pretty self-supportive.  Hush Rascal!”  Candi admonished the dog into silence, as she led them into the cabin.

         “Have you camped and hiked alone before?” Stan said.

         “Sometimes I do, but not always, but always with Rascal of course.  I don’t go anywhere without him.”  Candi filled three cups of coffee and handed them around.

         Sandra looked around the cabin.  “You have beautiful furnishings.”

         “Thank you.”  Candi accepted the compliment, as she looked at the coziness she had created out of the chaos of the day before.  “Please sit.  Have you been to the cabin before?”

         “No, but we knew it was here.”  Sandra eyed the work on the table as she sat.  “We’ve interrupted you.”

         Candi sat in the chair she vacated when they arrived.  “Yes, but I was due for a breather.  I’ve been working since just after breakfast.”

         Harvey looked over the papers she had gathered together before he pulled out a chair and sat with his coffee in front of him.  “What kind of work do you do?”

         “I’m a proofreader for a large printing and publishing company in Minneapolis.  My job is to proof the manuscripts of prospective authors as well as some well-established ones.  I have some that I personally work with.  Everyone in the department I work in has a client list that is exclusively theirs.  So, even though I’ll be spending the next year here, I’ll still be required to do my work.  It was part of the terms of the agreement I made before coming here.”

         “How interesting,” Sandra said.

         “Yes, and participating in a government study at the same time.”

         Stan leaned against the sink, coffee in hand.  “Your boss said something about that when he was here.  What exactly is it?”

         “It’s a study in the reaction of a person who is virtually alone for an entire year.  Some factors have been figured in, for instance, your presence and that of the pilot who will be making the mail drops periodically, and picking up my work.”

         Stan sipped at his coffee.  “You make a very good cup of coffee.  So you were aware of our presence here.”

         “Thank you.  Yes, I was told about the ranger station before I left Minneapolis, and I saw your station when I arrived.”

         “Are you familiar with the radio transmitter?”  Stan turned to where it sat on a shelf and brought it back to the table.

         “I’ve never used one before.”

         “With all your camping and hiking experience you’ve never used a radio transmitter?”  Harvey said.

         “There was never a need.  As I said, I didn’t exactly travel alone.  I was usually part of a group with a guide.”

         Sandra had a look of amazement on her face.  “What about those trips when you didn’t go with a group, but hiked or camped alone?”

         “I never saw the need.”

         “You could have gotten into any kind of trouble,” Harvey said.

         “Let me show you how this works.  This is the ‘on’ button.  Keep it in the up position at all times.  Your call letters are CM Alpha One.  The CM are your initials.  The number one signifies how many are with you.  In your case of course there is only one.  Our call letters are RS Tango Five.  The RS is for Ranger Station.  And the number five is the number of rangers at the station.  Each ranger has his own call sign when he is away from the station.  So if you ever need to get a hold of us, remember those call letters, before stating the emergency, or problem.”

         Candi had written the instructions on a sheet of paper, while he explained the easy operation of the transmitter.  “What about the Alpha and Tango, where do those come from?”

         “Yours is the only cabin in this area, so we’ve termed it Alpha or first.  There are a number of ranger stations throughout the state, ours has been designated Tango.”

         “I see.  Who are the other rangers?”

         “Andrew Nelson and Kenneth Davis.  We have two rangers on at a time.  We’re just a small operation.  The closest major station is Elk City a couple hours from here, give or take.  We’re getting a new ranger on Friday.  Harvey’s tour is up and he’ll be transferred,” Stan said.

         “So where are you going?” Candi said.

         “I’m going to Yellowstone,” Harvey said.

         “I’ve always wanted to visit Yellowstone, but never had the opportunity.”

         “We’re also here to inform you of the wildlife you can expect to see.  This here country is big for black bear, cougar, deer, long-tailed weasel, wolves, snowshoe hare, red fox, bobcat, coyote, and lynx,” Harvey said.

         “I did a bit of research before I came so I would know a little bit about what I’m facing here.”          

         “Did you bring a first aid kit?” Stan said.

         “Yes.  I picked it up at a sporting goods store and had it packed at the hospital before I left.  I wanted to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything.”

         Sandra put her cup down she had sipped while the men talked.  “May I see it?  I’m a nurse.  I’d like to inspect it, make sure nothing has been left out.  Did you tell them where you were going?”

         “Yes.”  Candi retrieved the kit from the shelf close to where the transmitter had been and handed it to her.

         She opened it, and examined each item, then closed it, satisfied with what she found.  “Very good.”

         Stan looked around the cabin, saw her small collection of books on the shelf shelves next to the fireplace, and went over to them.  “I see you have several books here about the trees, plants, and animals of the northwest.  You’ll need to study these.  Get familiar with every animal, and their marks.  It’ll come in handy in case of an emergency.”

         “I’ll devote a part of every day to it.”

         Sandra finished her coffee and put it on the table.  “If you ever get really lonely, we’re only a call away.”

         “Thank you for the concern, but if I ever get really lonely, the study will have failed, won’t it have?  But I doubt I will.”

         Stan put the books back on the shelf and walked back to the table.  “Well, we need to get back to the station.  Even we can’t leave the station for too long.  You never know when the weather will turn bad and we’ll be faced with an avalanche or fire.  We have to be prepared for every contingency.”

         “Are fire’s a big problem up here?”

         Harvey stood to his feet ready to leave.  “We have fire seasons.  If a fire breaks out, and there’s a strong wind to whip it up, it can do a lot of damage in a very short time.”

         “How do fires start so far from civilization?  With the lack of people around who or what could cause it.”

         “Lightning mostly.  Then too, we get our share of campers and hikers up here as well.  So we always need to be watchful,” Harvey said.

         Rascal followed them out to the porch.  “How long have you been up here?”

         Stan followed down the stairs and prepared to mount his horse as the others already had.  “I’ve been here for five years.  We’re permanently assigned here.  Sandra is a registered nurse and will help out the new ranger who is also a doctor.”

         “That’s interesting.  How long is the usual tour?”  Candi absently scratched Rascal’s ears as she talked.

         “It goes in one year rotations, unless you request longer.  I did.  I fell in love with the area, and asked to be permanently assigned here, after only one week.”

         “And you’ve never regretted it?”

         “No.  Our children fly in occasionally, or I go see them, as the need arises, like the entrance of a new grandchild.  I wouldn’t miss that event no matter what,” Sandra said.

         Candi looked around at the mountains, at their peacefulness and the majestic beauty they evoked.  “It does seem pretty peaceful around here.”

         “Yes it is, but its peacefulness can be deceptive.  Remember the wildlife I mentioned.  They don’t take kindly to having their territory disrupted, and most of them are on the endangered species list,” Stan said.

         “Will these books tell me which ones, and is it all right to hunt?”

         “By all means.  People hunt the black bear all the time, and the deer, but the cougar and lynx are on the endangered species list.  However, if you get attacked by one, we do expect you to use self-defense to protect yourself, and if you do kill one, you do have to let us know,” Stan said.

         “I will.  Sounds like my diet will consist of bear and deer.”

         “There’s also plenty of fish for a change up,” Harvey said.

         “You have enough supplies to last you a while I take it,” Stan said.

         “At least a month, but I’m going to need to start hunting long before it runs out.”

         Stan stepped into the stirrup and swung himself onto the horse.  “Good.  Well it sounds like you prepared well for your solitary adventure.”

         “I did my best.”

         Sandra took the reins in her hand and prepared to leave.  “And that’s all that’s necessary.  Now, if you ever need anything, just call.”

         “I’m sure I’ll be calling when it’s time to get more work.  Those are some beautiful horses.”

         “There are service roads, but horses are the best way to get around in the forest.  As you can see, the only way in is by plane.  We also have a helicopter at our disposal in case of emergencies,” Harvey said.

         “I see.”

         “Well, we’ll be leaving.  I hope you have a good stay.  By the way, if you’re ever in any trouble and can’t get to your radio, just shoot off two rounds from your shotgun in rapid succession.  We’ll get here as fast as we can by chopper,” Stan said.

         “I’ll keep that in mind.”

         “We can be here in less than five minutes, being just across the river.  Don’t try to be a hero.  We’d hate to ship your body out of here,” Stan said.

         “The pilot who brought me here yesterday said almost the same thing.  I’ll be careful.”

         “That’s all we ask,” Stan said.

         “Ah, one question.  Is the river safe to swim in?”

         “The lake is.  I’m certain you saw the river from the air.  It’s filled with rapids and can be very dangerous.  I don’t recommend swimming in it,” Stan said.

         “Yes, I did.”

         “You do need to be careful when it runs high, or when it floods.  Both are dangerous and you should not chance a swim.  The lake is deep enough for a good swim,” Sandra said.

         Candi found she was grateful she could rely on someone in an emergency.  “I’ll keep that in mind.  Thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate all you told me.”

         “It was our pleasure.  Have a good day.  It was nice to meet you,” Stan said.

         She turned back into the cabin a thoughtful look on her face as she took the empty cups over to the sink and absently washed them up while she contemplated her new work schedule.  Rascal took his place on the rug in front of the fireplace.

         Over the next several days she got into a basic routine.  She spent the morning hours with her work, after her daily Bible study.  She spent the afternoon hours going over the books she brought with her.  The wildlife and plant life of the immediate area fascinated her.