Fossil Creek Part — 2

So I thought it would be fine. I could load up all that I needed and go forward. My pack is heavy, close to impossible for a normal person. When we took off it felt full, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. Quickly the boys got distracted and searched an abandoned power plant. I took the time to sit down and look at rocks. It was during this time that I found the only rock I brought back to Texas. It is a creamy gray stone with stripes of red. I plan on smoothing it down and making a necklace out of it soon.

Once the boys returned we hit the trail. It followed the river close to the shore. Quickly it got muddy and close to the hill next to us. The river, it turns out, was running high and fast that day; to us though that was normal. I knew something was wrong when the trail stopped. To the left was the river moving fast, to the right a steep cliff face. Seth quickly scrambled up the side of it and deemed it the path we must take.

I wasn’t going to be able to handle this. I was out of breath and tired at that point. I turned around to look back; there were two men and a five or six year old girl coming up fast behind us. The man leading them looked to be a natural at this. His life was most likely filled with hiking and adventuring. This was when he informed us that the river was high and up this way was the only choice. Up the cliff, then up a small hill to an old road, then it was a quick walk to where the river crossing is.

I set my mind to it. No couldn’t be a choice. I wasn’t going to make the whole group turn back because of my life choices. I wasn’t going to let a six year old do things I couldn’t. Kevin guided my every step. It was slow going and quite terrifying the whole way up, but I made it. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. Dehydration was setting in. I still had the hill to climb to get to the road. Seth stayed with me. Helped me find my way. It was at the top that we found an old cattle pen.

Seth had been carrying my backpack since the cliff. It was heavy, much too heavy for this hike. I chose to leave it at the cattle pen. There are no thieves in the forest / desert, wherever we were. After sitting in the pen for a while my vigor had been restored. It was an old road that sloped down. The orange marker where we needed to cross the river was close. So we set off; with only a gallon of water to carry I felt as light as a bird.

As we approached the river we caught sight of the two men and little girl again. We went to where they were and asked a few more questions. This was where we would cross. The river at this point was up to my hips and moving fast — nothing I couldn’t handle though. Seth went to find me a big walking stick so I could have good footing on the crossing. While he and Kevin went to get one, I watched and listened. The men were arguing. The one with all the cameras and bags was fighting the crossing.

He wanted to take his things, the river was too fast, and how would his dog make it? The doubt had rooted itself in his heart. I knew he would not be going across. The other man, the adventurer, pleaded with him. Offered many solutions. They came back with my stick. To another person it would be a large branch, but for me it was perfection.

The water was cold, ice cold. On this hot day though I didn’t mind. Crossing the river was a delight. I love every moment I get to be in water. We reached the middle island and crossed over. What we saw was dejecting. Fast moving deep water, up to your shoulders deep. The man left his kid near us and tried different paths. Seth got some rope out and did the same. I looked up the river and saw rapids.

It wasn’t happening.

We could see the hot springs. Right across the river. 200 feet away. All that hiking and hard work. In my mind I wanted to feel dejected. I couldn’t allow myself; we had a hike back to the car and a long drive on the terrible road after that. I had to stay positive and happy or my mood would have affected everyone. We came to the choice to go back. The sun was going down in an hour or so. It was time to pull the plug.

The hike back was swift. With the road and not having that cliff to go down, it took half the time. Hot sweaty boys smelling of river water and sadness filled the car. The road was unforgiving. Kevin had a place for us to go though. A river we could swim in. After about twenty minutes, we made it. It was beautiful.

A clear river with a small waterfall upstream and the sun setting downstream. On the other shore was a tall, long dead tree that had a rope hanging from it. The water here was colder than the other water. It was close to unbearable. The kind of water you have to toss yourself in and wait for numbness to set in. Seth and Moses started swinging on the rope into the water. Kevin and I jumped in from the other side. Asa recorded our jumps and we just let the whole day wash away.

Although the objective was a wash, we still had a great day. I did things that I thought were impossibilities for me. Friends — no, brothers — will push you. Make you try. It might seem frustrating, feel like they don’t know your limitations. I think they know better than I do though. It’s a trust I have built up with them. That they will never put me into a situation that I can’t handle. I loved that day. I now expect more out of myself. One day we will go back. We will make it to the hot springs.