Denali Dreams (8 page)

Their pace had slowed. Karon caught up with Lionel and spoke through her mask. “Everything okay, Lionel?”

“Yes. I believe so. Had a dizzy spell. I’m all right now.” Their guide looked tired.

Karon wondered if he’d been resting enough. Lionel was such a go-getter, and the staff at AMS said he never took any time off. They called him the “Energizer Bunny.”

He pointed ahead. “Not too much longer and we’ll make Basin Camp. I don’t know about you chaps, but I’m looking forward to something warm for supper, and these climbs always make me miss teatime.”

“Like hot soup?” Karon felt hunger pangs for the first time in a couple of days. “That sounds heavenly.”

They trudged up the mountain, the steepest part of their climb done for the day. Karon tried to even her breathing. At this elevation, there was approximately 50 percent the amount of oxygen as sea level. Hopefully her body had been doing its job and acclimating. The bitter cold seeped into her boots. Maybe tomorrow would be a good day to try her overboots. She didn’t want to seem like a wimp, but her toes were freezing.

By the time eight p.m. arrived, they’d eaten a hearty meal, and were all in bed. Karon looked at the ceiling of the tent. “Clint,” she whispered. “You awake?”

“Barely.” The wind that day had roughed up his voice. “But I won’t last much longer. Whatcha need?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking.” She tucked her chin farther into her bag.

“Might as well tell me.” He rolled to face her. “You have a captive audience.”

Karon got a brief glimpse of his eyes. Most of the time, they were all covered from head to toe in gear. Her brother looked tired. “What do you think of Zack?”

“As in, Ranger Taylor, Zack?”

“Yep.”

He paused. “I think he’s a hard worker, serious …”

“If I had an extra pillow, I’d throw it at you. You know I like him, don’t you?”

“It’s a tad bit obvious, yes. At least to me.”

Karon laughed. “I know you told him about my love of books.”

He stared at her.

“And you thought he needed a little shove.”

More silence.

“So … I’m assuming that means you’re okay with it?”

Clint raised himself up on an elbow. “Okay with Zack? Yes. Okay with you moving on with your life? Yes. Okay with you finding someone to cherish you? Even better.” He lay back down and shut his eyes. “I just hope he knows how really special you are, Kare Bear.”

The use of her nickname brought back a rush of old memories. “Thanks. But I feel like an idiot. I turned him down.”

“You what?”

“He asked me out and I turned him down.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t know about the cancer. What if he can’t deal with it and pushes me away? I don’t think I want to deal with that rejection.”

Silence reigned again for several seconds. Clint cleared his throat. “I have a feeling Zack already knows. Didn’t you say the rangers had to know?”

“Well, then, why didn’t he say anything?”

“Maybe he was respecting your privacy.”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Her brother reached a hand out and patted her hat-covered head. “I thought you were gonna stop worrying about what people thought? You’re incredible, Karon, and if Zack is smart, he’ll snatch you up.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And, Clint?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for doing this with me.”

“Sure. Just don’t tell me you want to do Everest next because my answer is no.” He rolled over and within a few minutes the snoring began.

If only she could turn off her brain that easily. Karon tucked herself back inside the depths of her warm sleeping cocoon. For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to dream of a future with a man by her side.

A blond, scruffy-faced, mountaineering ranger.

The call came in around 2:00 a.m.

Zack and David headed up to just below 11,000 feet to rescue a victim of acute mountain sickness. By the time they arrived, the climber was worse. Zack feared high altitude cerebral edema, and they began their descent immediately. The wind and bitter cold fought them the whole way, and exhaustion began to take its toll.

When Zack returned to Base Camp and the victim was flown out, he realized his rotation was done and he could get off the mountain and sleep in a real bed. His only other thought was of Karon.

Before climbing onto the helicopter that would take him back to the ranger station, Zack looked up to the mountain one more time. He prayed for her safety, and asked God to grant Karon’s wish of reaching Denali’s summit.

Zack awoke after twelve hours of dead sleep. He slid his feet to the floor and stretched. Thirty-eight straight hours of being awake just didn’t cut it anymore at his age. Add in the climbing, rescue, and high altitude, and no wonder his body wanted to return to the bed. But he had too much to do. Besides, if he went back to bed, he’d probably dream about Karon again, and he needed to focus. Not that focusing on Karon wasn’t fun. He enjoyed it too much. And he hardly knew her.

And she lived in Louisiana.

He passed a globe on his desk and gave it a spin. Louisiana was a long way from Alaska. A very long way.

Zack ground some beans and made a fresh pot of coffee. He had reports that needed to be written, and the rescue helicopter needed a couple of safety checks today. Might as well hit the ground running.

After a long run on his treadmill and a shower, Zack headed out the door. His cell phone rang. It wouldn’t be anyone from the station; they’d use the radio.

“Hello?”

“Hey, man, it’s David.”

“What’s up?”

“Thought I’d give you a little news.”

Zack’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m listening.”

“Your girl’s on her way to High Camp.” David clicked off before Zack even got to say thanks.

He shook his head. High Camp. That meant that if the weather held, she might get to summit in a couple of days and then she’d be on her way back down.

But not to him.

O
nce they left Basin Camp at 14,200 feet, Karon felt the difference in her bones. She was wearing out. And Lionel didn’t look like he was faring much better. Clint didn’t say much, just kept up his pace behind her. The wind and cold tore through them. And now, clouds shrouded them in the top heights of Denali.

They stopped for a few minutes and Karon eased the heavy pack off her shoulders. Lionel sat very still twenty feet above her. As she approached, he lifted his goggles. “Do my eyes look all right to you?”

She wasn’t sure what to look for, but the glassy appearance of his eyes scared her. “I don’t know, Lionel. I’m not a doctor.”

“Ten years I’ve been leading expeditions and guiding people on this mountain. I haven’t been sick in all that time.”

Wow. Ten years. She chuckled. “I work with five-year-olds. I’m lucky if I avoid their bugs every few weeks.”

“I’m not trying to scare you. I just believe in being totally forthright. And, Karon, I don’t feel well. The only symptom is a sore throat right now, but I don’t feel well. Not at all.” He replaced all his gear. “Let me get you to High Camp and I’ll radio in. There’s usually a doctor there as well.”

Karon nodded. She couldn’t imagine getting sick on the side of a mountain. Sick at home on a comfy couch or in bed was bad enough. Poor Lionel.

She walked over to Clint and told him what was going on. In a matter of minutes, they were back on the trail to High Camp. Hopefully someone there could help their guide feel better.

An hour of torturous climbing passed in the wind and now blowing snow. The weather had changed from bad to worse in an instant. Lionel, Karon, and Clint were all tethered together with rope, and Karon could barely see the next step in front of her, the visibility was so bad.

So this was the horror all the books talked about. A blizzard on the side of the mountain in the middle of a climb. No wonder so many people never saw the summit.

She redirected her thoughts. Maybe singing a song in her head would help. Clint loved to call her
songbird
because he always caught her singing something. But up here? Too cold. And she had a hard time keeping a tune going.

What about her memory verses? She’d challenged the ladies in her Bible study class at church to memorize scripture with her. The thought of everyone arguing over which translation made her laugh. It had been one of the first times after her cancer that she stood up and made an executive decision. No one argued with her choice of the NASB because they were so shocked that Karon was back.

The laughter faded in the cold of her mask, but it felt good to think of something other than the agony of each step.

She started reciting at the beginning of Psalm 23. A perfect passage for the task before her.

The
Lord
is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord
forever.

There were days, not so long ago, that Karon thought for sure she was headed to the Lord’s house sooner than later. As she focused on heaven and her Savior, she realized some very important things. If the Lord granted her any extra time on this planet, she would live it. Not wonder about all the what-ifs. Not worry about what people thought.

And here she stood. On the face of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Even if she didn’t summit—she’d be okay. Proud of what she had accomplished. Pleased that she’d tried.

In the next step, her toe kicked something large and the momentum caused her to tumble over the obstruction in the path. When she righted herself, she tugged on the rope toward Clint to warn him.

But as Clint approached, Karon knelt in the storm to see what she’d tripped over.

Lionel! Covered in snow and unconscious.

Clint unpacked one of the sleds while Karon tried to rouse Lionel. But it was no use. The man was out cold. She went to help Clint sort supplies, so they could hopefully make it to High Camp and help for Lionel. With this storm, she felt the urgency as surely as Clint did. The visibility had diminished as the day went on, and they’d now have to pull Lionel on a sled.

Clint yelled over the wind into her ear. “It can’t be much farther to High Camp. Maybe an hour at most. I say we keep going in hopes we can make it to the doctor.”

Karon nodded. “Have you tried the radio?” Her voice screeched.

“I just started warming up the batteries. But so far, nothing. That’s why I think we should keep going. I haven’t seen any other climbers in a while.”

For the first time since they’d started, Karon was nervous. And indecisive. “Are we doing the right thing? Didn’t you read the mountaineering guide? It said it took, what … twice as long to answer questions or make decisions at high altitudes. What if we go the wrong way?” Her breaths quickened as her voice raised in pitch. “What if the storm knocks us off the trail and no one can find us?”

Clint grabbed both her arms. “We don’t have a lot of time, Karon. Let’s move.”