Backpacking Adventure

Backpacking Adventure

All characters in this story are over 18

Sunday

The Pre-Orientation Experience was a chance to bond with other incoming freshman before the official start of college. Even though I had never been backpacking or even camping before, I chose the Extreme Mountain Adventure - a six-day, 60-mile hike through the mountains of Colorado. I figured it was a chance to get out of my comfort zone and meet some cool people. I was in great shape after four seasons of cross-country running in high school so I was up for the challenge.

My girlfriend was mad that I was leaving for school a week early. I tried to reason with her, explaining that I wanted to branch out and broaden my horizons, and that we'd see each other in October. She said I was being a selfish jerk. I was torn. Ellie was smart, fun and we had been having great sex all summer. I hoped we could stay together even though we were going to different schools on opposite sides of the country, but I went anyway.

I arrived at my dorm on Sunday afternoon and met up with my group at dinner. There were 5 guys and 6 girls, along with Noah who was going to be our guide. Noah was a senior, President of the Outing Club and majoring in Recreation Science. Even though he was only 21 he had already led groups on Outward Bound trips, guided river rafting expeditions, taught rock climbing and was an all-around cool outdoorsy guy. He seemed to know everything about running a backpacking trip. Noah was good-looking and fit, with brown scraggly hair, a sandy beard, blue eyes and a deep tan. He was about six feet tall and probably weighed 180lbs of solid muscle.

After dinner we went back to the Outing Club barn where Noah gave us a slide presentation about the trip. He didn't sugarcoat anything. It was going to be rigorous with lots of steep hiking and rock scrambling with heavy packs. We would have to carry all our clothes, sleeping bags, tents, equipment and food for the entire six days. We would be in bear county and would have to hang our food from a tree every night and carry bear spray.

When I looked around the room I saw a lot of worried faces. Two of the girls and two of the guys asked Noah if they could talk to him. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I saw a lot of nodding and eventually the four of them walked out.

"OK," Noah announced, "we're down to eight. There's no shame in bailing - I wanted to give you all an honest presentation so you know what you're getting into. Those four decided this isn't for them, and that's totally OK. If you're not up for it, step out now because once we're out there you can't go back. Think about it."

The seven of us sat in a circle, looking at each other. Two of the guys - Joe and Tom - were whispering together, laughing and smiling, totally relaxed. They looked like real mountain men - big, burly guys with beards and well-worn hiking boots. It was obvious they were experienced at this sort of thing, unlike the rest of us.

"You only live once, dudes," Tom offered. "I'm totally in."

"Me too," Joe agreed. "YOLO. Stoked."

Two of the girls looked at each other, exchanging a frightened look. "Ummm, I think maybe this isn't exactly the right trip for us?" one of them said, the other shaking her head, dejected. "I think we're going to go, OK?"

"No problem," Noah responded. "You know you."

"We all good?" Noah asked the five of us remaining. He paused, letting us think it over.

Three of us nodded tentatively, but Joe and Tom were emphatic, "no doubt! Let's DO this!"

"OK, then," Noah said as he began to pull equipment from shelves. For the next few hours Noah fitted us with backpacks and sleeping bags and tents and headlamps and everything else we would need, courtesy of the Outing Club. We sorted the food and group equipment like the stove and water filters into piles so everyone could carry their fair share.

"We lost six people so far," Noah pointed out, "so the packs are going to be a little heavier. We'll each have to carry a bigger share of the group gear, OK?"

"No problem," Tom responded.

"Bring it on," Joe added. Those two didn't even need Noah's equipment because they had their own. Tom was from Maine and said he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail during high school. Joe was from Oregon and had hiked almost the entire Pacific Crest Trail. Like Noah, they were big guys, around 6' tall, in great shape. They looked like they could carry 100lb packs all day long. They had long, wild hair and full beards. Tom's hair was dark brown while Joe's was reddish-brown with a red beard. Along with Noah they could have been in an ad for lumberjack recruiting, or maybe chewing tobacco. They were the personification of rugged outdoorsmen.

While the rest of us sorted our gear, Joe and Tom traded stories with Noah about 20-mile days on the trail and encounters with bears, which definitely put a chill on the rest of us. Their banter gave me doubts, but decided I wasn't going to wimp out. I wanted to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone, and this trip was definitely going to do that. I was nervous, but at the same time excited to live new experiences, to do things I had never done before. Who knows? Maybe I'll find a whole new side of myself...

Monday

When I arrived at the barn on Monday morning it was just me, Noah, Joe and Tom. "The two girls bailed," Noah reported sadly, shaking his head. "They texted me after the meeting last night. Said they were going to go on the bus tour instead."

"Their loss," Joe scoffed. Tom shook his head in disgust.

"You still up for this?" Noah asked, looking at me.

"Ummm, yeah," I responded, hesitantly. "I think so."

"Dude!" Tom declared. "It's going to be awesome! You'll be fine. Trust us."

"Definitely," Noah confirmed. "Glad you're in. We'll only need two tents now." Looking at Joe and Tom he decided, "you guys can share one tent, me and Bobby will be in the other, OK?"

"Sounds good," Joe said.

"Yep," Tom agreed.

I was glad to share a tent with Noah, supposing he would know what to do if there were bears or anything. Overall, I was super nervous but with three experienced outdoorsmen I figured everything would work out.

"With only four of us the packs are going to be even heavier, you know," Noah said. "Let's get everything squared away. The van will be here in an hour."

We spent the next hour sorting the food and gear, checking the weather, getting ready. The guys gave me tips on organizing my backpack, distributing weight, and all the technical details of camping. When I finally finished and put on my pack I almost fell over. It was so heavy! I couldn't imagine actually walking a mile with it on my back, let alone 60.

The guys saw my reaction and tried to reassure me. "Don't worry, dude!" Tom reassured me, "you'll get used to it. It always feels heavy at first."

* * * * *

The van dropped us at the trailhead late in the afternoon. Noah handed out maps and went over our route. "We'll just do a mile and a quarter today, to this campsite by the lake," he said, pointing to a blue oval on the map. "Right here - Frosty Pond. It's a nice spot."

I was grateful we were starting with such a short distance. "OK," Noah continued. "You guys can all hike at your own speed, but make sure you stick to the blue blazes. I'll always be bringing up the rear. Got it?"

Joe and Tom immediately set out at a fast pace while I did my best, struggling under the weight of my pack. Noah stayed with me, walking right behind and asking questions about high school and what I planned to do at college and stuff like that. He was probably trying to distract me from the pain on my shoulders, but he also seemed genuinely interested in me. Noah reminded me of Ellie - he was smart and funny and not stuck up at all. I was lucky to have him with me on my first backpacking trip.

By the time we got to the campsite I felt like I had walked 10 miles. My shoulders were killing me and my back hurt. I realized backpacking was very different than cross-country running.

Joe and Tom were already at the campsite and looked like they had been there for days. Their tent was set up, along with the cooking gear and the ropes for hanging our food bag.

"Dudes!" Joe hollered as we walked into camp. "This place is awesome! Colorado rocks!"

I dropped my pack and fell to the ground, rubbing my aching shoulders. The guys laughed at my exhaustion.

"Someone just lost his backpacking cherry!" Tom crowed. "Way to go Bobby! You made it! Only 59 miles to go!"

Joe whooped, "Welcome to the club!"

I groaned.

"All right," Noah called, waving us over. "Time for Bobby's wilderness baptism. Let's take a swim!"

Swim? I hadn't brought a bathing suit, but the idea of cooling off in the lake sounded good.

"Ummm, Noah?" I asked timidly, "I didn't bring a bathing suit." The guys all laughed and started running down the trail to the lake.

* * * * *

Noah led us to a big rock with a flat top about fifteen feet above the surface of the water. "It's deep here," he explained, "perfect spot for cliff jumping."

Tom walked to the edge and looked over. "Fucking awesome!" he cried. I was shocked when all three guys stripped off their clothes and stood naked at the edge of the rock, peering over, arguing about who would go first.

Seeing their naked backs really accentuated how fit they were. They looked like a pack of bull moose, tall and broad-shouldered with rippling muscles. Their tight, round asses seemed to be chiseled from marble. They were tanned and hairy, adding to their wild aura, as if they belonged out here in the mountains. I stood behind, fully clothed, amazed at their impressive physiques.

In contrast I was lean, pale, 5'8" tall and 135lbs soaking wet. I had blonde hair, and that summer I decided to grow it long. I thought it would be a cool look for college. For the camping trip I tied it back in a pony tail that I tucked under a baseball cap. Except for that I had almost no body hair and shaved my chin maybe once a month. Gawking at them, I felt like a little boy.

After debating how far out to jump and where to land they turned to look at me. The first thing I noticed was that each of them was very well-endowed. Even soft, their penises were bigger than mine was hard. I tried not to stare but couldn't help myself.

"Bobby," Noah announced, breaking my trance, "we decided who's going first."

I lifted my eyes to Noah's face. "Who?" I asked softly.

"YOU!" Tom laughed.

"But... I don't... I don't have a...," I protested, but it was no use.

"Strip!" Tom ordered.

"It's your wilderness baptism," Noah explained. "Just make sure to cup your junk when you jump, otherwise you may never have kids." The three of them stood there, grinning at me. I was cornered.

"OK," I croaked, resigned to my fate. My heart was pounding. I turned my back to the guys and took off everything. I could feel their eyes on me, probably amused by my slim runner's build, my almost-hairless body, and my pale white skin. Fortunately, based on Noah's advice, I had an excuse to cover up my small penis as I stepped to the edge of the rock and looked over. It looked way higher than fifteen feet.

I looked to the guys nervously, my hands hiding my midsection. "You sure it's safe?" I asked, trying to summon courage I wasn't sure I had.

"Done it a million times," Noah laughed. "You can climb back up on that side," he explained, pointing down to the right of the rock.

"Just do it, dude!" Tom barked.

"Jump!" Joe ordered.

I looked at Noah and he nodded encouragingly. Oh, well, here goes! I closed my eyes and jumped as far out as I could, keeping my hands firmly wrapped around my little dick and balls.

Splash!

"Aiiggghhh!!!" I screamed before I even got back to the surface, bubbles erupting from my mouth underwater. The water was FREEZING! I'd never felt anything so cold in my life. I shot back up to the air and saw the guys laughing hysterically as I gasped for breath. I swam as fast as I could and scrambled back onto shore, wheezing and shivering.

When I got back to the top all three guys started a whole new round of laughing as I stood there, dripping and shaking, my arms wrapped around myself for warmth.

"Dude!" Tom laughed, pointing at me, "I think you left your dick back in the lake!" Noah and Joe roared with laughter. I looked down and noticed that the cold water shriveled my dick to a little nub and made my balls disappear completely. The water had matted down my light, wispy pubic hair, making it look like I had just gotten waxed. I was horrified. I looked like a little girl down there. What little I had had been frozen into nothing.

Immediately I turned away, hiding, but there was no way they guys would ever unsee that. Realizing my distress, the guys calmed themselves down, trying hard not to laugh. Tom threw me a towel.

"OK, our turn!" Noah declared, changing the subject. Each of the guys jumped into the freezing water and came out howling and laughing. Adding to my shame, I noticed that they climbed back onto the rock with thick, long dicks and round, red balls swinging between their thighs. They were like polar bears. The cold water seemed to have no effect on them.

After a few jumps the guys lay on their backs on the rock, drying off in the sun while I remained wrapped in Tom's towel. They had their eyes closed and I couldn't resist taking a good long look at their ripped bodies and manly cocks. I had only seen a few in real life, in the locker room at school, but never any so long, or so thick. Their balls looked gigantic, especially compared to my tiny ones. I wondered how big they got when they were hard. I'm not sure why, but I imagined their cocks coming to life and rising up to point at the clouds floating by overhead. I was pretty sure they would be truly enormous.

I made sure to put my clothes back on before they opened their eyes again. Eventually the guys dried off and dressed too. Before we went back up to our camp Noah pointed out the glacier and waterfall at the far end of the lake.

"This thing is fed by ice water," he explained. "That's why they call if Frosty Pond. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

Joe laughed, "nothing like an ice bath to let you know you're alive, right dude?"

* * * * *

Back at our campsite the guys taught me the basics of camping. They showed me how to set up a tent, inflate my sleeping pad, how to cook on a gas stove, make a fire, filter water, tie knots and everything else that went with backcountry living. They even taught me how to go the bathroom in the woods.

After dinner we cleaned our dishes and hung our food from a tree, then made a campfire. We spent the evening watching the flames and telling stories, and I began to realize why camping was fun. The stars were shining and we even heard an owl calling off in the distance. Other than that it was perfectly quiet, just our voices and the crackling of the fire. By the time I crawled into my sleeping bag I was exhausted but excited for what the rest of the trip would bring.

I drifted off to sleep immediately but woke sometime in the night to find an arm on me. At first I was confused, not even knowing where I was, but then I remembered that I was in the woods, sharing a tent with Noah.

I was lying on my left side, facing the mesh window of the tent, and somehow Noah's right arm was draped over my side. I lay quietly for a moment, wondering what to do. I could hear him snoring quietly. I could hear Joe and Tom snoring, too, on the other side of the campsite.

Is he asleep? I wondered. I coughed slightly. He continued to snore. He is asleep, I'm pretty sure. Moving very gently, I rolled onto my back and took hold of his arm, moving it off me and onto his chest. He continued to snore. Satisfied that it was just an unconscious thing, I rolled back onto my side and went back to sleep.

A little while later I awoke again with Noah's arm back on my side. Like the first time, he was snoring and I moved it off me without waking him, then went back to sleep.

Next time I woke it was still dark and Noah's arm was once more resting on my side. I lay still for a while, wondering if I was going to have to go through this every night. He was snoring peacefully, just like before, so I figured he must be asleep and wasn't doing it intentionally. I moved his arm off and fell back asleep.

Tuesday

The forest was coming to light when I woke again. There was no arm on me this time. I was alone but I could hear voices and pots banging.

"You ready for coffee, Bobby?" Noah's voice called loudly. "Tom's got a pot ready to go. Better get moving - we're out of here in 30 minutes! Big day ahead of us!"

Breakfast was granola bars and dried fruit with coffee. After a nature call and breaking down the tent, we filled our water bottles, packed up and policed the campsite, making sure the fire was out and we left nothing behind. When Noah was satisfied he called us in for a huddle.

"All right guys," Noah said, rolling the map out on the ground. "We're going to camp here tonight." He pointed to a triangle labelled Warm Springs. He went over our 10-mile route and agreed that Joe and Tom would go at their own speed while Noah hung back with me.

"Just be sure you stay on the trail, OK guys?" Noah urged them.

"You got it, boss," Joe said. Tom gave a thumbs-up and they took off, marching briskly down the rocky path.

When I hoisted my pack on my back I almost fell over. I could barely pick it up, it was so heavy. I struggled to act normal but I noticed Noah keeping an eye on me.

"You OK?" he asked.

"Ummm, it's kind of heavy," I admitted.

"Well, I can help out if you struggle too much," he offered, "but let's see how you do, OK? I think you'll get used to it -- gotta get those shoulder muscles warmed up!"

* * * * *

The hike was brutal right from the start. My shoulders burned, my back hurt, and I stumbled under the weight of my pack. The first mile or so was flat but then we began a long uphill climb which was even worse. Noah knew I was hurting but maintained a quiet, Zen-like approach, letting me struggle against the pain.

By noon we had gone 5 miles and stopped to take a lunch break on a flat ledge overlooking a mountain lake surrounded by jagged, snow-covered peaks. Taking off my pack was a breath of fresh air. I felt liberated and was suddenly able to appreciate the deep blue sky and puffy white cumulus clouds drifting by. The lake was like a mirror, reflecting the deep green forest and brown cliffs that surrounded it. I had to admit, this whole wilderness thing was pretty amazing.

We ate lunch of salmon jerky and chocolate and sat quietly for a while, taking in the spectacular scenery. Eventually, Noah stood up and suggested we get going. I dreaded having to hump my pack another 5 miles, but I was determined to get through it. Years of cross-country running taught me how to endure pain, and now I needed that experience more than ever.

* * * * *

By the time we got to camp I worried I might pass out. My shoulders were screaming, my neck ached, my back was throbbing and my legs were like jelly. My t-shirt and shorts were soaked with sweat. My skin was chafed everywhere. I dropped my pack and collapsed on the ground.

"You made it!" Noah cried. "Awesome job, Bobby. That was a real ass-kicker for your first backpacking hike. You OK?"

"Ughhh, I'm fine," I lied, taking off my boots and socks. "Just need to lie down for a bit."

Noah kneeled by my side and looked at me with a concerned expression. "Seriously, are you OK?"

"My back really hurts," I admitted.

"Yeah, I can tell," he said sympathetically. "Is it OK if I take a look?"

"What's there to look at?" I responded testily. "I just ache, that's all."