Page 14 of Trail to Trouble
“Yeah, I heard stuff, too. That’s not uncommon,” Hunter said in a comforting tone.
She assumed he was trying to put her at ease about the wilderness creatures that roamed during the night.
“Well, I guess I’ve no choice but to go on without them,” Hannah said as she zipped up her backpack and stowed it back in the canoe.
She pulled the brim of her ball cap down a little to shield her eyes more from the bright sun rays.
They paddled at a comfortable pace in the slow-moving water. The clear water made it easy to see fish swimming under and around the canoe.
Bianca turned her head and glanced over her shoulder to look at Hunter, who did all the paddling work for their canoe.
“What kind of fish am I seeing?” Bianca asked.
“Brown trout, walleye, perch, among others.”
“Looks like there are some minnows down there, too,” Hannah added.
“Yes. I forgot to mention those. Lots of those.”
After about an hour of leisurely paddling, their guide paddled up close to her canoe and pointed ahead to a small opening in the trees lining the river.
“There’s our next camp. There’s a small sand beach at this one.”
“Nice.”
Though she hadn’t planned on swimming on this trip, having read in the informational packet, she knew there was at least one campsite with a swimmable beach, so she’d packed her swimsuit.
“There’ll be plenty of time for a swim after we set up camp and hike to the Pine Loop Falls.”
Bianca clapped her hands. “Yay!”
Hannah was sure it delighted her friend to show off her perfect body in a skimpy bikini to their good-looking guide.
After reaching the campsite, Hannah hopped out of the canoe and dragged it up onto the tiny sand shore. Hunter did the same with his canoe. It only took a few minutes to unload their gear and just a few more minutes to set up their minimalistic camp. She supposed Alyssa and Bianca moved at lightning speed to make sure they left enough time in the day to lie on the beach and soak up some of that fabulously warm sun in the sky. They were in Michigan. It certainly wasn’t Florida hot, but it was warm. No doubt, though, it would cool down quickly in the early evening, so sunbathing time was of the essence.
“Chop, chop, ladies. We’ve got a waterfall to see,” Hunter teased.
“I’m ready!” Alyssa replied with her camera in hand.
In that respect, Alyssa was in paradise. The natural beauty of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was a photographer’s dream.
They started down a narrow dirt path lined with bright green, soft-looking ferns; the forest floor was covered with them. Those, along with hearty white pines and tall, thin red pines, hence the trail and falls names, she supposed—Pine Loop Falls. It made complete sense. She paused, lifted her face to the sky, and drew in a long inhalation, basking in the calm, outdoorsy, pine scent.
When she opened her eyes and glanced to her left, then her right, she caught movement of the ferns about thirty feet away. Odd, since there wasn’t a breeze to speak of. Her gaze fixed on that spot. Two beady little eyes came into focus.
“A red fox,” she whispered.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alyssa spin. She supposed her friend would want a photo, but if she moved, she’d surely scare the beautiful creature away.
“Don’t move. Just look,” Hunter said in a hushed tone.
The animal stayed statue still. Didn’t even blink. Gaze glued to her. Orangish-red colored eyes, the same color as his fur, studied her. All at once, the animal bolted. She’d glimpsed the full body of the tiny animal, and then he was gone.
“How cool was that?” Alyssa asked.
Then she frowned. “But he was so quick, I didn’t get a picture.”
“You gotta be on the ready,” Hunter replied with a teasing tone.
