Backpacking Adventure

"Let me just check, OK? That's what we do out here - we watch out for each other, you know? You still have 50 miles to go and I want to make sure you make it."

I nodded and sat up. "OK, I guess."

"Good," Noah encouraged. "For what it's worth, I'm a Wilderness EMT and I took two classes in Outdoor Health and Wellness last year, so I know a little bit. Just enough to be dangerous," he laughed, trying to keep things light.

I responded with a courtesy laugh, definitely not in the mood for comedy. Deep down, though, I really appreciated Noah's concern. I was miserable and scared about the rest of the week, so Noah's attention was a major uplift.

"OK," he said, getting serious. "Take off your shirt. I want to check out your back and shoulders."

I took a deep breath and pulled my shirt over my head.

"Uh-oh," Noah grumbled.

"What?" I asked, alarmed.

"Umm, you got a really bad rash, Bobby."

I looked down and saw red, raw rectangular marks going across each of my shoulders, from front to back, exactly where the backpack straps had been digging into my skin. It looked like I had been burned with a hot iron.

"Oh, shit," I whimpered.

"Yeah," Noah agreed, then lightly touched the top of my right shoulder.

"OW!" I screamed. His finger felt like a blowtorch.

"Yep," he confirmed, "your shoulders are rubbed raw, like hamburger."

"Damn, that hurt!" I complained.

"Don't worry, buddy," he reassured me, "I'm going to put something together for you. I'll be back in a few minutes, just sit tight. OK?" Noah trotted back down the trail with an empty plastic bag in his hand. About 20 minutes later he returned with the bag filled with leaves.

"I noticed this plant growing along the trail when we came in. It's called Plantain - it's a natural cure for skin rash and burns."

"You're going to put leaves on me?" I protested. "Are you kidding?"

"No, not leaves. I'm going to make a paste first. Trust me, OK?" he pleaded as he spread the leaves out on a rock and began to mash them with a stick. "Besides, do you have any other ideas?"

I looked around the campsite, all dirt and rocks and trees. I definitely did not have any ideas. "You really know what you're doing?" I asked, resigning myself into Noah's care. "Leaves?"

"Plantain leaves," he corrected as scooped the paste into a metal cup from his pack. I watched as added water and stirred. He was concentrating, carefully adding water, stirring, then adding more mashed-up leaves and water until he got the consistency he wanted.

"All right, Bobby," he said when he was finally satisfied. "Let's see what this does for you." Very gently he spread the salve over my sore skin then covered it with whole leaves.

"Oh, my God!" I praised. "That feels better already!"

"Nice!" Noah said. "Let's leave it for, like, half an hour then we'll see what it looks like, OK?"

"You're a genius," I said.

"We'll see," he snorted. "I never did this before but I read about it. Supposedly it's been used for thousands of years."

I rested, feeling Noah's concoction sooth my skin while he went about setting up our tent and cooking gear. Joe and Tom's tent was already standing. They had arrived hours before and left a note saying that they went fishing and would be back before dinner.

* * * * *

When the half-hour was up Noah pulled the leaves off my shoulders and tenderly removed the salve with a washcloth wet from the stream that ran by our camp. He patted me dry with a towel.

"Hmm," he mused. "They're not red anymore. How do they feel?"

"Oh, my God!" I gushed. "Better!" My appreciation for Noah immediately rose through the roof.

"Glad to help," he added humbly, "that's what I'm here for."

I looked into his eyes, feeling intensely grateful to him. "Thank you, Noah," I added softly. "I think you just saved my trip."

He nodded, smiling back at me. I'm not sure why, but locked in his gaze I got that butterfly feeling in my stomach.

"OK," Noah announced, breaking the spell I was under. He spread out his towel out on the ground and said, "let's see about your back now. Why don't you lie down for me so I can take a look?"

My back was still hurting and I was eager to see what other kind of magic Noah could work on me. Obediently, I lay face-down on the towel.

"Holy shit, dude," he said. "Your back looks like it's tied in knots. Let me help you out, OK?"

"OK," I agreed, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

Noah trailed his palms over my back, assessing the state of my traumatized muscles and bones. His hands were warm and felt electric on my skin.

"If definitely feels like you overextended yourself," Noah explained, "I think I can help you out with some simple therapeutic massage techniques. I'm no expert but we had an Outing Club workshop on it last year and I can give it a try. But only if you're OK with it, yeah?"

"Absolutely," I said, "whatever you can do would be fantastic."

"Great," Noah said. "I've been wanting to have a chance to do this for real." He rummaged through his pack and came back with a small tube.

"This is medicated massage oil," he said. "It will help me work out the knots." Noah splashed the oil into his hands and began to gently rub down along my spine.

"Oh, my God!" I sighed, "you're the best, Noah." It felt wonderful. Noah, rubbed, kneaded, squeezed and pressed into my sore muscles - not too hard, not too soft - bringing my devastated body back to life. After he worked on my back and then my arms Noah asked me how I was feeling.

"So much better," I purred.

"Great," he said. "How are your legs?"

My legs? Is he going to rub my legs? I thought, hopefully. "Ummmm, pretty sore," I confessed.

"Want me to tune them up a little?" he offered.

"That would be amazing," I chirped. "Noah, I really appreciate this. You're taking such good care of me."

Noah brushed it off, squeezing the muscles of my right calf.. "Happy to do it. Remember - the goal is for the group to succeed, not the individual. Out here we have to rely on each other and help out any way we can."

"Well, thank you," I replied. "I'm going to help out however I can, too. I promise."

"I know you will" he said. "I'm sure you'd be taking good care of me if I needed it."

Noah rubbed my calves and then my thighs, pushing my shorts up my legs to make sure he got my thighs "fixed up from top to bottom," he explained. I had never felt anything like it before - he worked the oil into my skin, knowing exactly where to rub with just the right amount of pressure, bringing my legs back to life.

"How's that?" he finally asked.

"Unbelievable," I crowed. "I think I'm going to be fine tomorrow."

"We'll see about that," Noah chuckled. "You better get cleaned up now - wash all that oil and sweat off you."

"Where am I going to do that?" I asked.

"No cold water today!" Noah declared happily. "There's a natural hot spring here, right down that path." Noah handed me a bucket, a washcloth and a bottle of biodegradable soap, slapped my ass and told me to wash up. "Hygiene is important out here. Keeps you healthy - make sure to scrub your pits, your feet and your ass, especially if you want to share a tent with me!"

* * * * *

Noah's treatment and my bath rejuvenated me. When I made my way back to camp Joe and Tom were there, showing Noah two big trout they caught in the lake. Just like yesterday, the guys gave me lessons on backcountry life. They showed me how to clean the fish far away from the campsite so as not to attract bears, and how to find the right kind of wood for a cooking fire and how to make rice. Noah took me along with him to forage for edible greens -- we found dandelions and some kind of wild lettuce.

"You can eat dandelions?" I asked.

"Here!" he offered. "Taste it. Everything tastes better out in the woods, you know."

The guys worked together to make one of the best meals I ever had. Noah had brought spices and a tiny jar of dressing and we sat around the fire, talking about today's hike while we gorged on fresh fish, just-picked salad and rice. As the sun was going down we ate desert of freeze-dried chocolate cheesecake. It was the perfect end to a delicious meal.

By the time we cleaned up and hung the food bags it was dark and the stars were starting to shine. Joe added more wood to the fire and the guys settled in, trading stories about their backwoods adventures.

I was as tired as I've ever been in my life so I decided to turn in. I thanked the guys profusely for taking such good care of me and teaching me about the woods.

"No worries, dude!" Tom said. "We're psyched that you're into it, especially after that ass-kicking you took today."

"No joke," Joe added. "That was a real ball-buster for your first ever hike."

"Get some sleep," Noah advised. "Big day tomorrow - 15 miles."

* * * * *

I woke in the middle of the night. I had a view through the window of the tent of the moon rising over the mountain ridge. Noah was snoring lightly, and once again I felt his arm on me. Just like last night, I was lying on my left side, facing away from him. He was also on his left side, facing my back, his right forearm resting across my ribs, his hand almost touching the side of the tent.

Unlike last night, I decided not to worry about it. Noah had been so great to me today that I didn't want to wake him. Plus, I was exhausted. It didn't matter. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

A little while later I woke again. The moon was directly overhead now, lighting up the tent. Noah was still snoring, but this time his arm was resting along my side, his hand holding my right shoulder. This is getting close to a snuggle, I worried. I lay still, listening to him snore. He was definitely asleep, I decided. I was sure he had no idea he had his arm on me.

I lay there in the tent, Noah's hand cradling my shoulder, wondering what to do. I was pretty sure I would wake him if I tried to move his arm, and I didn't want to do that. Before I came to a decision I must have drifted back to sleep, comfortable enough in Noah's grasp.

Next time I woke I could see that the moon was almost setting. This time, though, Noah's right arm was wrapped around me and his front was pressed against my back. I was even more surprised to find my right arm was resting on his, hugging it to my chest, my right hand holding his wrist. We were in a full-on spoon position. Noah was still snoring his soft, rhythmic snore and seemed to be asleep. I could feel his breath on my neck.

I froze, half panicked. What if he wakes up? I didn't know what to do. I lay in Noah's grasp, perfectly still, my heart beating fast.

There was no way I could extract myself without waking him, so I closed my eyes and tried to relax. My thoughts quickly went back to that afternoon. I relived Noah's massage in my mind. I thought about how Noah soothed my ravaged shoulders, all the ways he had cared for me. It sent a warm shiver through me. Noah is awesome, I concluded, listening to him snore and feeling his warm breath on me. Without thinking, I squeezed his arm to my chest and snuggled back against him, happy and warm.

Wednesday

Next time I woke I was alone. It was light out and I could hear the guys banging around the kitchen area. Was that a dream? I wondered, but when I looked around the tent it was exactly as I recalled from our moonlight snuggle. It was real. Noah spooned me.

Whatever, I decided. I was sure Noah had been sound asleep and wouldn't have any memory of it. I got dressed, unzipped the tent and wandered over to where the guys were eating breakfast.

"Coffee?" Noah offered. I looked at him, searching for any sign that he knew what had happened. There was none.

"Thanks," I said as he filled my cup. "How did you sleep?"

"I'll tell you," Noah said emphatically, "when I'm out here I sleep like I'm dead. It's the best. How about you?"

"Ummm, yeah," I concurred. "I slept great."

"Good," he said. "Hope my snoring didn't wake you."

"Nope," I assured him. "No worries."

Noah pulled out the map and went over the plan for the day with Joe and Tom. While they were studying the route Noah asked me to take off my shirt so he could check my shoulders.

"They feel pretty good," I assured him, trying to be brave.

"That's great," he agreed, "but take the shirt off anyway." His demeanor made it clear the matter wasn't up for discussion.

"Hmmmm," he said, "they definitely look better."

"I told you," I argued, but then Noah pressed his finger into the top of my right shoulder.

"OWWWW!" I shrieked. I saw Tom wince for me.

"Yikes," Joe said sympathetically.

"Yeah, I thought you'd still be tender," Noah said. "No way you can carry a heavy pack today."

"But -," I started.

"Dude!" Joe interjected. "Don't worry! We got your back. Literally."

I looked to Noah quizzically. "We already redivided your food and the gear," Noah explained, "while you were still sleeping. All you're going to carry today is your clothes and sleeping bag. We got the rest."

"Wait a minute," I complained, "that doesn't seem fair."

"Don't stress on it, Bobby," Tom reassured me, laughing. "We like heavy packs! I even put rocks in Joe's pack yesterday when he wasn't looking!"

"Yeah," Joe said, giving Tom the evil eye. "This asshole actually rock-packed me! Can you believe that? Wait to you see how I get him back."

"OK, OK," Noah said. "Take it easy you two." He turned to me, "I already told you - it's not about fair, it's about what's best for the team. It's no big thing for us to carry a little extra weight, and it will be a life-changer for you. With any luck we won't have to evacuate your sorry ass in a helicopter," he laughed.

"Seriously, dude," Joe added, "no problem."

"None at all," Tom confirmed.

I looked at each of them, eternally grateful for their strength and support. Inside I was jumping for joy but trying to play it cool. "OK, I guess. You guys are fucking awesome. I'm going to find some way to make this up to you. I promise."

* * * * *

The hike was sublime. My pack felt weightless, and Tom taped a pair of his thickest socks under my shoulder straps to make the padding even softer. Joe showed me how to cinch up the hip belt so I carried the weight on my waist rather than my shoulders. The result was like night and day from yesterday. There was no pain. I felt good, even going up steep, rocky slopes.

Like yesterday, Joe and Tom bolted ahead, leaving Noah and I behind. It was great hiking with Noah. He knew all about nature and seem to see everything. He spotted a grizzly bear far across the valley, bald eagles and hawks soaring overhead, and even salamanders and toads hiding in the leaves. He knew the names of all the flowers and the ferns and which ones you could eat and which were good for medicine and all that kind of stuff. It was fascinating! I had never really appreciated nature before but he brought it to life for me.

After 15 up-and-down miles Noah and I arrived at the campsite. As usual, Joe and Tom had already set up camp and were out fishing. I went to take a bath in a cold stream while Noah wrote in his journal. We had another great dinner and afterwards sat around the fire under the stars. I was feeling great, and so thankful that I had Joe and Tom and Noah with me on my first wilderness experience. They had taken what could have been a disaster and made it one of the best experiences of my life so far.

Warmed by the fire, we watched the full moon rise over the mountain we would climb tomorrow. Before we turned in the guys showed me how to check the campsite before bed - burning any food scraps in the fire before we doused it, double-checking for anything that might attract bears, and making sure everything was squared away. I felt lucky to have them as my companions.

* * * * *

I woke in the tent flooded with soft light from the full moon. Noah was snuggled up against me, just like this morning. His front pressed up against my back, his right arm draped over me. I was holding his right arm to my chest. We couldn't have been any closer.

I could hear Joe and Tom snoring off in the distance. Noah was snoring lightly, his breath soft on my neck. I felt like I was in another world, isolated in the wilderness with Noah, Joe and Tom a million miles from civilization. I felt like I belonged here, zipped into my tent with Noah under the full moon. I smiled to myself, hugged Noah's arm into my chest and fell back asleep.

An owl hooted, waking me. The moon was lower in the sky now and Noah was thoroughly wrapped around me, still snoring quietly. He had me in a bear hug, his left arm underneath me and his right curled over my side. I was holding both his arms in my hands, pressing them into my chest. Noah's front was melded to my back and his knees were bent, pressing his groin into my bottom. His nose was buried in my neck. I could feel the moisture in his breath.

I lay still, listening to Noah breathe. It was strange to be completely engulfed in his embrace, but I had to admit I didn't mind. It was nice to be held. After everything that had happened during the last two days it felt perfectly natural.

I could see Noah's right hand, lit up by the moon, right in front of my face. His fingers were curled in and the moon reflected off his fingernails, less than an inch from my nose. I don't know why but for some reason I moved my head slightly forward, bringing the backs of his curled-in fingers against my right cheek.

I lay still, feeling the heat of his fingers against my skin. I thought about how wonderful those fingers felt rubbing liniment into my bruised shoulders, how good they felt massaging my sore back, and how safe and content I felt in Noah's sleepy full-body hug in the moonlit tent. Noah's face was pressed against my shoulder and I listened to him snore. His chest against my back warmed me in the cool night.

I smiled and sighed, happily wrapped in Noah's arms. I snuggled back against him, pressing my back to his chest and my butt into his lap.

A few minutes later, Noah's fingers moved ever-so-slightly against my face. I noticed there was no snoring anymore. I froze. Was he awake? His finger moved again, less than an inch, brushing my cheek. Without even thinking I gently moved my head down and up. It was just a tiny nod, the faintest possible caress of my cheek against Noah's hand.

I lay still, my heart pounding, listening for Noah's breathing. My mind was racing, wondering if he noticed. Was he aware of his fingertips touching me? Did he feel me move or was it all nothing - just a sleepy accident?

Softly, Noah's index finger moved again. I exhaled. He pulled held me tighter and I leaned into his hand now, rubbing my face back and forth against his fingers.

This was new territory for me, but there was no doubt I was more excited than I had even been in my life. Wrapped in Noah's arms I felt new desires I couldn't explain, and I had no intention of fighting them. It felt too good.

Noah moved his hand again, spreading the fingers of his right hand so his thumb was on my right cheek and his four fingertips against my left. He rubbed his thumb up and down and tickled my left cheek with his fingers.

I let out a soft moan, letting Noah know I loved his touch. He hugged me tighter to him as his thumb stroked my right cheek and fingertips ever-so-softly caressed my left. With Noah's hand spread across my cheeks his palm was right up against my lips, gently brushing them. Instinctively, I pursed my lips and softly kissed his palm. It was purely a reaction in the heat of the moment, unthinking, a subtle wisp of a kiss. My first-ever kiss with a guy.

Noah responded by kissing my neck, softly, and I brushed another kiss on his palm. Noah kissed my ear lobe and ground himself into me. He was hard. He nibbled my ear and tickled my cheeks as my restraint gave way and I kissed all over his palm.