“I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay, actually, I have been one of those kids in the Mid-East carrying a machine gun. I didn’t use it though. I spent six months in Afghanistan. Your husband looked worried when he saw me packing the rifle, but I’m used to that.”
She laughed, “I bet he did. He thinks women should fit into his little mold like his mother did. I’m afraid I haven’t stayed within that mold myself. There are too many interesting things outside the mold so I end up hopping out and getting lost in the mountains. By the way, how did you know where to find me? I expected a dozen men to be searching the hills calling out my name, not some teenager walking quietly up to me and introducing herself.”
“I followed your tracks. If I’m not around I guess they do send out a dozen guys to search the hills and call out people’s names, but since I am here they only sent out two.”
“And the other guy broke his leg?”
“Yeah, he was flown out by helicopter. I was hoping the helicopter would catch your attention. Did you see it?”
“No, I heard something in the distance but I was up in the rocks wondering how trees manage to grow there. If I were a tree I sure wouldn’t pick solid rock to try and grow in. Seems like it would be hard to get water out of solid rock and even harder to grow roots.”
“Thinking like that is exactly how I got to be a tracker. I was curious about tracks, how they were made, what kind of animals made them, where the animals went. What did they do? The more tracks I followed the more I learned until it was the most natural thing in the world to just follow tracks to see where they led, and what kind of people made them. I like your tracks. I could tell from your footprints that you were an interesting person and someone I would like to meet.”
“And I think you are an interesting person who my class should meet.”
“Your class?”
“Yes, I teach kids how to be interested in the world around them. Well, technically I’m a kindergarten teacher but at that age curiosity gets them further than book learning.”
“I speak to classes every once in a while, usually about safety in the woods. Last time I spoke my presentation was cut short by that shooting. I suppose you heard about it in the news.”
“Heard about it? I was there. I was grateful that the kindergarten classes are separated from the rest of the school. My kids did great though. I was so proud of them. When they heard the alarm they all got under their desks like for an earthquake drill. I wasn’t going to tell them to do otherwise. I locked all the doors and turned my desk so I could see the kids while I sat under my desk too. I kept telling them what a good job they were doing and we read stories. We were lucky an officer was on hand at the time. It could have been so much worse.”
“Well, that wasn’t exactly an officer. It was me.”
“You? You mean you had to… How did you do it? I mean you had to, I know that, but I don’t think I could even if I had to. I could see some cops springing to action, taking aim, firing, no problem. I just have trouble picturing you doing something like that.”
“I know, me, too. And it was very hard. It’s always hard to make a choice like that. If it weren’t for the kids, I’d be haunted by something like that. And it still bothers me. It bothers me a lot. If I talk to your class, I’d rather they not connect me with the shooting. I’d like to make it fun for them. You know what would be fun? A tracking demonstration. I can tell from the kids’ tracks what they have done. It’s always fun to let a few kids lay a trail for me and then let me tell them exactly what they did. I get kids who do handstands and back-flips trying to trip me up and I always figure it out.”
We kept talking as we cleaned up the cooking gear and packed it away, then headed back to Elk Meadows. Ally was a fun person to talk to. She was bright and attentive and knowledgeable and yet she was curious about everything. Maybe she became knowledgeable by being curious about the world around her. However it happened, Ally made the trip back enjoyable for me.
“How do you know where we are?” Ally asked.
“I found us on the map while the water was heating for lunch. And I can see on the topo map where the hills, mountains and valleys are. I have a GPS device that tells where we are.”
“So show me. Where are we?”
“I thought you wanted to get back soon. I know Peter sure wants you back today.”
“Oh, it won’t take that long, show me!”
“Okay, here’s the map. I’ll read off the coordinates to you and you find them on the map.”
I gave her the longitudinal coordinates and showed her how to find that on the map. Then I gave her the coordinates for our latitude and let her find it herself. After putting the two together we located our position on the map.
“You mean, that’s us, standing on that elevation line, right there?”
“Yup.”
“I don’t see any line.”
I hoped she was kidding. “Now, you see how the lines are spaced to our right, it shows this hill to our right and we are following this line here because it is a natural pass through the hills. See where the lines are far apart? Those are the meadows. That’s where we are trying to go.”
“Oh! And it doesn’t look far!”
“Well, it’s two miles but it won’t take long if we keep going.”
It felt strange for me to be teaching a fifty-plus-year-old woman how to read a map. But she learned eagerly and it reminded me of my nephew, Patrick, who was only six.
I was surprised just how quickly the miles passed while we talked and walked. When the meadows appeared before us Ally got excited.
“I know where we are now! Oh look! Look at all the cars!”
But it didn’t keep her from being curious about other things either.
“Look,” she said pointing, “the grasses make like a tent for little animals to run through. I could sit for hours waiting to see what little animals come running through that tunnel but they never appear.”
“That’s because they think you’re big and scary.” I examined the small game trail and found evidence of several animals. “Well, it’s at least mice and rabbits, perhaps voles. Have you ever seen a vole?”
“No, never, but maybe if I am careful I can someday.”
“That would be highly unlikely because they are extremely timid. I’ve only seen a vole once.” I didn’t tell her that I ate it on a survival trip. “Come on, the guys are waiting for us.”
“Is Peter there? Maybe he’ll come back and watch for voles with me.”
“Yes, Peter was there when I left. I’m sure he’s still at the campsite. I bet your dog missed you too.”
“Oh, Livingston, I’m surprised he didn’t run off somewhere just like me. He’s an explorer, that dog is. I have to watch him every minute.”
As we got closer I noticed Rusty’s dark blue Explorer in amongst the county cars.
“Oh yay! Rusty’s here!”
“Rusty?”
“My husband.”
“I still find it hard to believe you’re not in high school. Now watch him be this big tough guy. You need a big tough guy to watch out for you, especially if you’re a trouble magnet.”
“He’s tough enough. But he’s also the most patient, gentle person I’ve ever met. You’ll like him. He’s