Taking a Coworker Backpacking

There was a knock at the office door and Alex Shay looked up from his paperwork, "Come in."

The door opened and Amy Brown stuck her head, "is this a bad time."

"Nope, come on in." Alex had to admit, he was busy, but was trying to get things wrapped up before the weekend and the following week where the office would be shut down. Pulse, he was taking Amy backpacking the following week, so he wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

Amy entered the office and smiled before sitting down across from him, "Are you sure taking me next weekend isn't an inconvenience?"

"I'm sure, have you looked over the map and elevation guide I gave you?"

"Yes, and I changed my workouts to include the stair master and some more running."

"Then as long as you follow the packing list, I think you will be fine."

"Okay, I really appreciate you taking me on this trip. I've always heard great things about Dolly Sods but have never known anyone that goes there. All my friends stick close to the city for their hikes."

Alex found himself nodding, "It really is a beautiful area, I think you'll like it. We do need to talk about sleeping arrangements."

"What about them?"

"I have a single, and a two-person tent along with tarps that can be rigged into shelters, what are you comfortable with?"

Amy thought for a few moments before replying, "You said weight is important and we are both adults, wouldn't it be stupid to take two tents?"

"Right, but we could always take a couple of the tarps?"

"If you want to do that, that's fine, but I think I want some walls, even if they are nylon."

They both laughed and Alex said, "Alright, the tent it is. Do you still want me to stop by Sunday morning to go through your pack with you?"

"If you don't mind, then I can run and grab any last-minute things."

"Alright, just text me your address and I'll stop by around 11."

Amy stood to leave and turned back before leaving the office, "Thanks again for this, I really appreciate it."

"No problem." As she left, Alex couldn't help but think to himself that he hoped he wasn't getting in over his head by taking her to the wilderness of West Virginia, a far cry from the parks of the DC metro area. He chuckled as he went back to work and thought to himself, "Well at least this hiking partner is easy on the eyes," compared to his usual hiking buddy Scott.

***

On Sunday morning, Alex drove the 20 minutes from his townhouse in Bethesda, MD to Amy's apartment in Falls Church, VA. He texted her that he had arrived, and after receiving her apartment number, he went up the steps to the 2nd floor, and found her standing in the doorway, "Thanks for coming over, I followed your list to the letter."

Alex laughed, "Well then you should be all set."

As he followed Amy into her living room she said, "I'm sorry for the mess, but I thought I should lay everything out, then it'll be easier to go through."

Alex smiled, "Good call, then we can also pack your pack, so it is loaded right and is the most comfortable."

Over the next half hour, they went through Amy's gear, piece by piece, then loaded it into her pack, making sure to leave room for her clothes, her share of the food, and the water filter.

With the pack loaded and leaning by the door, Alex stood to leave, he smiled at her, "Great job picking things out and following the list."

"Thanks, I've read a lot of articles and reviews since you agreed to take me."

"Well, you did a great job. Just get your clothes finalized and you'll be set."

She smiled, "I'm glad I didn't fail. You gave me a basic list of clothes, but is there anything specific I should bring?"

"Well, you want to avoid cotton because it takes so long to dry. Any of your standard workout stuff should work."

"I bought 2 pairs of shorts from REI that are for hiking."

"Those would be good, maybe a pair of leggings or pants in case you get cool at night or when we start. Bring a pair of clothes that are just for sleeping. Bring an extra set of things that can get wet. You're gonna get sweaty, so if you change clothes before bed, your new bag won't get stinky."

"Oh okay, I wouldn't have thought about that." She then added sheepishly, "I do have a bit of an embarrassing question that I need to ask."

Alex laughed, "I'll bring a roll of toilet paper and I have a shovel to dig the hole."

"Oh, thank god! I read some articles and I heard that you should carry toilet paper out."

"That's true leave no trace, but I just dig a hole and bury it."

They stood for a moment in silence, both trying to think of anything else, coming up with nothing. Amy smiled, "So you'll pick me up around 7 in the morning?"

"Yep, I'll text you before I leave. If we leave around 7, we will get to the trailhead between 930 and 10. It's the week, so there shouldn't be many people there, we can divvy the food up and get going by 10."

Amy smiled, "Sounds perfect to me."

"Alright, I'm going to head out, I have some errands to run before we leave, I'll see you in the morning."

They walked to the door together and Alex opened the door, and as he turned to say goodbye, Amy hugged him; the hug lingered for about 15 seconds, and he found himself hugging her back. As they separated, she smiled "I keep saying it, but thank you so much taking me, I know you didn't have to agree, and I may be intruding, but it really does mean a lot."

Alex smiled, a bit surprised by the hug, but found his words, "You're welcome, it is going to be fun, weather is going to be great, and I don't think you're going to be as ugly or smelly as my normal hiking partner."

Amy laughed, noticing the slight flirtation in his voice, "I dunno about the ugly, I'm not bringing make-up, but I promise to bring deodorant and I found wipes to get the funk off, as long as I pack them out."

He smiled, "Then I'd say you're good, see ya."

"Bye"

Alex made his way to the car, then headed towards the grocery store to pick up their food after confirming things with Amy. While he shopped, his mind kept coming back to the hug, while it wasn't the first time, it still took him by surprise because they normally came at after work sponsored happy hours and after she had had a few.

He couldn't help but think about how nice she felt and smelled. Her hair always smelled of vanilla that wafted after she had left a room. She had dark brown, almost black hair, subtle freckles that he suspected were covered in make-up, and brown eyes that when she was engaged, seemingly looked through you enough to unsettle people if they weren't expecting it.

He also couldn't help but think about her body; Amy stood about 5'6 and if he had to guess, she weighed 135-140 pounds that she carried on a pear-shaped body that had become more pronounced after she and her ex-fiancé had broken up a year prior. Since then, she had lost probably 15 pounds and started teaching yoga and lifting some weights. They had worked together for about 3 years, but other than "Hey how you doing," they hadn't interacted much until he started seeing her in the office gym about a year and a half before and had slowly become work friends.

This trip came about after she had heard him and some other coworkers talking about hiking and backpacking, leading her to ask him about going sometime. A month or so prior, they had been riding the elevator up, they got talking about his 4-day hike of the Appalachian Trail around Harper's Ferry and she asked when his next trip was. He told her that he was going to do 3 days solo in the Dolly Sods Wilderness when the company shut down for a week at the beginning of August. She had asked if he wanted company and he had given a non-committal answer.

After mulling it over in his head that day, he decided that it might be fun to take her; he always enjoyed getting new people into the woods, plus Amy was just a fun person to hang around. The next morning when he walked into the gym, he handed her a folder. When she opened it, he had said, "That's the breakdown of the trip and a gear list, if you want to go, there it is."

He had half expected her to bail, 23 miles in 3 days in what essentially southern Canadian terrain is rather intimidating, but instead the next day she was in his office during lunch asking questions and taking notes. So now, here they were, getting ready to head out. Alex finished shopping, headed home, got his own gear ready and spent the remainder of the day relaxing.

**Day 1**

At 7:05 Alex pulled up outside of Amy's apartment and just as he was going to text her, she came down the steps with her backpack on and a small overnight bag in her hand. He climbed out of his 4Runner and smiled, "Well you look the part!"

Amy smiled, "I tried." She specifically had chosen her outfit for both functionality and look. She was wearing the Crocs she had bought for when not hiking, a pair of maroon Mountain Hardwear shorts that were a little longer than her usual shorts but showed off her strong legs, a black, Black Diamond tank top, and a black and gray flannel that was held together with the bottom few buttons.

As he took her pack and dropped it in the back of the SUV, he replied, "Although you may have just walked out of the REI catalog." He grinned as she blushed a bit.

She replied, "I just got a bit carried away when buying gear, I got a lot of clothes too."

He laughed at her sudden shyness, "Well you look great, let's go."

Hearing him compliment her, made her smile and she said, "Yep, let's get this show on the road!"

***

About 9:30, they turned onto Forest Road 75 and began to climb, about 10 minutes later, they crested the ridge and arrived on top of the plateau. Alex pulled into a parking lot beside the "Bear Rocks Preserve'' sign, "We can hop out here and take pictures, then move the car down to the trailhead." There was only one other car around and no one in sight as Amy nodded and climbed out, following Alex and a well-marked trail about 50 yards to a jumble of rocks that looked out over the way they had come.

"Wow, you can see so far."

"Yeah, nice clear days like this you can see 15 miles or more."

Amy spent the next few minutes taking pictures and just admiring the view. When she turned around, Alex had moved further down the rock face; she hurried after him, stepping over the gaps in the rocks and dodging random bushes. Just as she neared him, he luckily turned because she lost her footing in her Crocs and stumbled into him with a loud, "Oh shit!"

Alex saw her going before she even realized it herself, he instinctively stepped towards her and caught her in his arms. They didn't move for a moment as Amy caught her breath from the fear of falling and looked up at Alex, clearly embarrassed, "Nice catch."

She was relieved when he smiled, looking down at her, "Are you okay?"

She stood up slowly, not before noticing how strong his arms felt wrapped around her in something other than a hug. She quickly pushed the thought from her head and looked down sheepishly, "I think so, I'm really sorry."

"Hey, look at me." She felt him lift her head up, then found herself looking at him. "No apologies necessary. If you wanted to end the trip, you could have just told me, no faking falling."

She allowed herself to chuckle, "No faking there, I swear I'm not a clutz."

Alex laughed, "Well let's put those Crocs in 4-wheel drive and head back to the car."

Amy smiled and after flipping the straps over her heels, she began to carefully pick her way back across the rocks, making sure not to trip and fall again. Alex started after her, careful to not get too close, but at the same time close enough that he could catch her if she slipped again. He also was enjoying the view from behind her; Amy had wide hips and what looked like a firm ass from all the yoga and lifting she had been doing. He had originally been worried about the elevation change and distance on her when he had invited her, but seeing her dedication in the gym, listening to her talk about her workouts, and now staring at her ass, his fears began to wane.

They made it back to the car without any more issues, climbed in, and drove the quarter mile down the road to the trailhead, parked and began prepping to set out. Alex pulled their packs out and leaned them on the bumper and then pulled out a reusable grocery bag, "Here is your share of the food and the filter."

Amy nodded, "Is there a specific way I should pack it?"

Alex paused from putting things in his pack and looked over, "So I always group food by meals, so you have today's lunch, tonight's dinner, and tomorrow's breakfast. Go ahead and put them in first."

Amy began to put the Ziploc bags in her pack; as she was bent over, her flannel shirt and tank top fell away, allowing Alex to get a glance down her shirt to her sports bra encased breasts. Amy wasn't what anyone would call busty, but she was endowed with what he would consider a handful. He noticed her wrapping up packing the food, so he had quickly averted his eyes by the time she looked up.

"Perfect, now the water filter is something we need on a regular basis, so keep it on top." Amy nodded and set the filter in the top of her pack and looked back to Alex, "I think that's it, you can either strap your Crocs to the outside of your pack or shove them in the top if you have room."

Amy looked at her pack, "I think I'll just strap them on top."

Alex nodded, "I'm going to finish getting my stuff situated, go ahead and change your shoes and grab the water bottles out of the cooler." Alex finished organizing his pack and while Amy sat in the front seat putting in her boots and socks, he subtly picked up her pack, nodding slightly to himself and thought, "Not bad, she shouldn't have any problems with that."

Amy walked around the car and found Alex tying his boots, "All ready!" She said excitedly.

Alex laughed, "I'm about there too, wanna grab two water bottles a piece?" She pulled four Nalgene bottles out and setting two by Alex and began to put the other two in her pack's side pockets. Alex stood up straight and put his bottles in his pack and said, "Alright, let's get your pack on you."

Amy nodded and gripped her pack, "Is there a wrong way to do this?"

"Not when it's light like yours. You can use a rock, stump, or your knee to get it up."

Amy looked at him slyly, then said, "Not what I would normally use, but whatever works for you."

Alex looked at her for a second trying to process what she had just said, and just as her look shifted from mischievous to worry, he burst out laughing, doubling over. Amy felt a wave of relief wash over her and Alex began to calm down, "Wow, that was a good one, I walked right into it."

Amy joined his laughter and after calming down, hefted her pack onto her knee, then swung it around to her back as Alex had shown her. Once she had it on her back, she looked up and Alex was in front of her, "Not bad, now let's get it situated. You want the weight on your hips since your legs and butt are stronger."

Amy nodded, "The guy in the store helped me get it sorta, I think he enjoyed himself."

Alex laughed, "I bet he did." Neither of them said anything for a second before he smiled and continued, "Go ahead and snap the buckle, then I'll lift up on the pack, so it sits right here." He softly touched the top of her hips, letting her know where the hip belt should sit. He walked behind her and when she had clipped the buckle, she felt him lift the pack up and then heard, "Okay is it where I showed you?"

"Yeah."

"Good, now tighten each side equally until it's snug and the pack won't move when I let go."

Amy tightened the straps and after some adjusting, she said, "Okay I think I'm good." She felt him let go of the bottom of her pack and while it sagged a little, it settled onto her hips.

"How's that feel?"

She walked a few steps, "Pretty good, I feel most of it on my hips and a little on my shoulders."

Alex walked back to her front, "Not digging in, just resting on them?" Amy nodded her head yes, "Perfect, go ahead and clip your sternum strap, that will just make it, so your shoulder straps don't fall off." Amy clipped the strap and Alex began to shoulder his pack, adjusting it much quicker than she had.

"I can tell you've done this before."

Alex smiled, "Don't worry, you'll be a pro by lunch time. Ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Alex shut the hatch of the car and started walking across the road, stopping by a brown sign that explained the rules of the wilderness and showed that they were at the Bear Rocks trailhead. He turned to her and said, "Want a quick selfie to mark the beginning of the trip?"

She smiled back, "Sure, you have longer arms, so you'll need to take it."

Alex pulled out his phone and Amy scooted in close. He reached over her head and pack, pulling her gently against him. She smiled even before he had his arm out and snapped the picture. He pulled the camera down and showed it to her, "That work for you?"

"Sure! We look so happy; will we look the same in two days?"

Alex laughed, "I hope so, we can do a before and after."

"Will you send it to me?"

"When we get back to civilization, there's very little signal out here. When we get over on the other side, there may be enough then."

Amy smiled, "We can wait, and just enjoy being disconnected."

He laughed, "Sorry you're stuck with just me."

She grinned, "Ehh, it won't be so bad."

They looked at each other for a moment without a sound but the wind blowing across the mountain before Alex spoke, "Well let's get this show on the road, you have shorter legs, so you'll set the pace."

Suddenly unsure of herself, "You sure? What if I get us lost?"

He laughed, "Don't worry, I won't let you get us lost. Just follow the trail for the next hour, it's about 2 and half miles to our trail change."

"If you say so," and with a laugh from Alex, they were off.

Just as Alex had said, they hiked for the next hour or so across wide-open fields dotted with small trees and tiny bushes. Amy was taking it all in, there was a slight breeze, and the temperature was in the mid 70s with not a cloud in the sky. They eventually did descend and came to a small creek where she stopped, unsure of what to do. As Alex joined her, she asked, "Where's the bridge?"

He laughed, "There are no bridges; it's a wilderness so they limit manmade stuff, you just have to cross the creek when you come to it."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, definitely not your normal hiking trip back in DC."

"I'd say not..."

Seeing her uncertainty, Alex explained what to do, "So when crossing water, you unbuckle your hip belt and sternum strap so if you fall you don't get dragged down by your pack."

"In this little stream?"

Alex laughed, "Well not here, but it's a good practice to get into. You can take your boots and socks off, but I prefer to just rock hop when the water is this low."

"After my moment earlier, I dunno if that's a good idea."

"You're going to be fine, use one of my hiking sticks as a third leg and get going."

She unbuckled her pack and took Alex's hiking pole and did just as he said, making it to the other side with no issue.

"Great job, let's go ahead and take a 5-minute break before we start back up the hill."

They enjoyed the shade for a few minutes and Amy took the time to shed her flannel and stowed it, leaving her now in her shorts and tank top. Alex couldn't help noticing her toned back under the stringed back of her tank top and sports bra. He had always noticed that she was beautiful and had even developed a small crush on her, but seeing her now, with no makeup and her freckles showing, he couldn't help but stare.

"Alex...you still with me?"

He quickly snapped out of his daze, "Sorry, spaced out for a second."

She laughed, "Sure..." silently thinking to herself that she had just caught him staring. Normally when guys did that, especially staring at her ass, she would get annoyed, but Alex was different. He wasn't what a lot of women seemingly looked for. He was in his mid 20s like her, and spent a lot of time hiking and climbing, along with running and swimming in the winter and his body showed it with its lean strength that was visible the times she has seen him workout in just a cut off t-shirt. He had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes that caught your attention due to his tan skin from a summer spent outdoors when he wasn't at work.