Beyond the Ridge

At dawn, Mara and her uncle Ben entered Black Pine Forest to check a remote wildlife camera. The map showed a six-mile loop, but storms had made the trail rough. At first, the path made a gradual climb through ferns and mossy stones. Its slow rise seemed easy, so Mara saved her water for later. Soon, immense pines crowded the ridge. Their trunks were so wide that Mara and Ben could not touch hands around them.

Beyond the ridge, they had to descend into a narrow valley. Loose rocks rolled below their boots as they moved downward. Ben tested each step with a stick. A slight breeze stirred the branches, but it gave them little relief from the damp air. They heard the occasional call of a jay. Most of the time, only their boots and a nearby stream broke the silence. At the valley floor, they found the first bridge washed away. Ben placed two fallen logs across the water, and they crossed one careful step at a time.

On the far bank, a thicket covered the trail. Tangled bushes stood shoulder-high, and thorny stems caught Mara's jacket. Ben found a partial opening where deer had pushed through some branches. Still, the gap did not continue all the way across. They squeezed forward until Ben noticed fresh bear tracks in the mud. Beside one print, Mara's hand looked puny. The tracks were much larger than she had expected. They spoke softly and backed away, then followed the stream around the bushes.

The detour added nearly a mile, and both hikers began to trudge. Mara's pack pulled at her shoulders, while mud made each tired step heavy. Late that afternoon, they reached the camera beside a cedar. Its memory card held clear pictures of foxes, deer, and one black bear. The difficult trip had left them sore, yet Mara smiled. Their careful choices had brought them safely through the rugged forest.