Wolf Camp (Bear Naked 2)

Chapter 10, Part 1

They stopped for lunch in Ely, Minnesota. It would be the last real meal for two weeks. Amanda reminded them as much and told them to savour it.

It was another hour and half to their portage site. It was passed two in the afternoon when they reached their portage. It took less than a half an hour to unload all of the canoes, strap the bags in the middle of the canoes and have all six packs ready to go.

"Alphas," Marshall called out to the group. "Do you got your maps and directions?"

There was a chorus of "ayes" and "yes, sir" from the six alpha wolves. Connor held up the map and directions, stuffed inside a plastic bag in case they got wet, as he answered.

"I had a whole pep speech prepared," Marshall said. "But it's a long way to the first campsites, and you're getting a late start. You guys will have to push it to make it by nightfall. So, off with you. Good luck."

They all scrambled for their respective canoes. Mitch and his pack ran, with their canoes held up, into the water. Once they were knee-deep in the river, they dropped the canoes and made a messy entrance into them. Amanda just shook her head as she watched them go. "This is an endurance test," she said to her pack, "not a sprint."

They hung back, let the others get in the water before pulling their own canoes into the water's edge and climbing in.

******

"Watch it! Fuck!" Jonathan cussed.

Amanda looked back.

"We're trying," Brianna protested from her canoe. She was with Erica, Brianna in the back and Erica in the front. They had been caught by the current and swept into the side of Jonathan and Tanner's canoe, driving the two boys into a brambles on one side of the river.

Amanda felt her own canoe start to twist, and she turned her attention forward. She set her paddle and put her weight behind it, using it as a rudder to straighten them. She stared at the back of Connor's head, irritation growing inside her. He was paddling frantically, trying to hold them straight in the current.

"Stop it," she barked at him.

"Stop what?" he demanded.

"Trying to steer," she said.

"What? I shouldn't steer?"

"Not from the front," she said for what felt like the hundredth time. "Let the back steer."

He turned forward. She slowly got their canoe straightened and then turned back. The girls had managed to right their canoe and were gaining on Amanda and Connor again. The boys were still struggling to free themselves from the branches, and Jonathan was still cussing.

We've got the order all wrong. Amanda would have to talk to Connor about that tonight. They had put people in canoes based on preference and pack order, but Connor had obviously never canoed before. Connor and Jonathan were both constantly attempting to steer from the front of the canoe, a difficult and inefficient task. Tanner and Erica were powerhouse paddlers, but not very good at steering. They had to shake things up if they wanted to get anywhere.

That was discussion for the campfire, Amanda decided. First they had to make it there. They had put in a couple of hours already, but Marshall hadn't been joking. With the late start they had gotten, they would have to push hard to make it to their first campsite before dark.