The sound of a crow cawing woke Andy from her warm sleep. She heard it in her dream as she often did before waking up and realized the crow was not some omen in an oncoming nightmare but sitting on a branch in a tree near her tent.
She curled up like a baby in her subzero sleeping bag burying her head deep in its inner flannel warmth. The cold zipper dangling loosely on the inside poked against her forehead and caught on a string of hair. She grumbled with irritation and flicked the assaulting cold metal away. She reluctantly poked her head back out of the cocoon feeling like a butterfly trying to break free from its chrysalis. More like a squashed caterpillar, she thought sleepily and stretched.
She didn't know what was more painful, getting half-naked in a paper-thin, freezing cold tent then dressing in two-day-old jeans and a sweater that still had foxtails stuck in the fibers or slipping on crusty half-dried socks she'd only worn once and needed to wear again because she didn't pack enough socks to get through the week.
She unzipped and climbed through the fox den-sized door hopeful for a hot fire and fresh sizzling bacon but no one else in the camp had got up yet which meant only one painful thing. She'd have to start the fire and get breakfast going.
Ben got up second with a goofy grin on his face, clearly pleased that he didn't have to make breakfast. He grabbed a plastic cup and the ladle for a pot boiling with hot water.
Andy watched him rip open a packet of powdered hot cocoa and sit by the fire stirring his warm drink with a plastic spoon.
That was her yesterday, lazily warming her hands around the hot plastic cup and soaking in the crisp, morning mountain air. She shrugged and flipped the sizzling bacon. Her stomach growled with the smoky, greasy scent promising immediate hunger relief.
"Hey, got any pancakes this morning?" Jake asked sneaking around Andy and grabbing a piece of bacon off the ready plate. He winked at her after taking a selfish bite and headed over to the fire pit sitting quickly down in a camp chair next to Ben.
Andy glared at Jake. He didn't seem to notice or care.
Clarissa and Jenny got up last. The guys teased all the girls about always sleeping in late which Andy thought was ironic considering that she'd got up first and made breakfast.
After the guys cleaned up the breakfast mess, they started loading their packs.
"You got any more of those hotties?" Ben asked Clarissa.
"Sorry Ben Jenny's taken," she replied.
Jake chuckled.
Ben blushed, "I meant those hand warmers you lent me yesterday."
Clarissa tossed him a pack, zipped up her bag, and slung it over her shoulders. She tightened the waist straps and started walking to the trail a half-mile out of camp.
Jenny followed then Jake and Ben.
Andy stopped to pick up a large black tail feather she'd found by her tent. It's beautiful, she thought, must have been from the Crow that woke her up and tucked it away in a side zipper pocket leaving just the tip of the black and blue iridescent feather poking through.
Three miles into the hike she was a good two minutes behind her friends, and her pack felt more substantial than usual and something kept poking her in the back. She could tell that Ben was lagging only slightly behind to be near enough in case she needed him but moving at a pace that he felt comfortable with. She signaled using the emergency whistle they'd practiced. He stopped and alerted the rest of the group. They all put their packs down and used the opportunity to rehydrate and stretch.
Andy felt like she could kick herself. She hadn't moved this slow yesterday and only took one spill on a particularly muddy path at least then she had a viable excuse for stopping. Today, she was just tired, sore and her pack felt like she'd put rocks in it. She took out her water bottle and drank deep. They still had two miles before reaching the lake. Once there they were going to set up camp for the next three days fish, hike, and generally have a good time. Andy kicked her pack in frustration and winced. She'd made contact right where the feather was tucked away, but it felt like she hit a rock. She grabbed her foot and hobbled over to a boulder. She sat down and rubbed her foot feeling even more cross than before.
