Self Apocalypse: The Beginning (13 page)

For the last week my pack had been a burden I no longer wished to drag along.  I knew I couldn’t leave it behind though.  The problem was I needed to stop for a week or two and recover from the long distance I had already come.  I feeling I was ahead of schedule and would be nearing the new land of opportunity soon.  So far it had been an uneventful hike, which I was extremely happy about.  There had been absolutely no sign of anyone else along my route.  After reaching the top of the saddle today, I was going to go ahead and climb one of the peaks to see my surroundings.  If it looked pretty secluded here I was going to camp out for a while.  There appeared to be plenty of game here, and I was sure I could find a river or fish infested pond nearby.

The climb began to become steeper than I could tackle head on, so I had to start crisscrossing my way up in order to conserve some energy.  Luckily I found a rocky outcropping when I got to the top.  I was able to view the west from the ledge very easily.  I could see nothing but miles of forest and tall mountaintops to the west of me.  I already knew that nothing but the same existed where I had just come from the east, and from what I could see nothing lay to the south and north.  This would be the place to stop and rest for sure.  I just needed to find a suitable area to make camp.

I searched the vast valley below and spotted a river flowing north to south between the two ranges that safe guarded it.  To my right from where I was standing I saw a pond.  It lay about halfway down the mountain that connected to the ridge I was on.  There appeared to be a set of cliffs just past the pond, and then a sharp descent to the forest floor below after that.  It was the perfect spot to build a short term camp.  My eyes searched for the best route I could take to approach the pond, and then finding what I thought was the most suitable way, I eagerly marched on with new vigor.

My knees strained as they supported my weight and that of my pack’s while descending.  To keep my mind from concentrating on the pain in my knees and legs, I kept thinking about how I was going to relax for the next couple of weeks.  I was hoping that the pond I had seen would not be infested with leeches so I could jump in.  Swimming sounded like a great idea right now.  I needed to cool off, and floating in the water was very relaxing.  While daydreaming about my water resort below, I loss footing a couple of times and fell on my back.  At least the pack was there to pad my fall.

After another hour of fighting branches and steep mountainsides, I eventually caught sight of a clearing off in the distance.  The land flattened out here before reaching the rocky ledges and dropping to the valley below.  Continuing to walk towards the clearing, my trouble of enduring the pain finally paid off as I caught sight of water.  My mind no longer registered that I was hurting or tired; it just locked in on the body of water that now lay ahead of me.  Once at the shore of the quiet pond I wasted little time in setting down my gear and removing clothing.

The water was felt more than refreshing as it now encompassed my body.  It was cool enough to beat away the heat, yet warm enough to be able to stay in it.  I got out a few times to check for leeches, but had found none so I enjoyed the water to my heart’s content.  I did have one problem I needed to care for immediately though, and that was water.  I drank what I had as I climbed from the other side, so I needed to refill as I would dehydrate soon if I didn’t.  After satisfying my body’s need to cool off, I got out of the water and built a very small fire.  I used the deadest wood I could find in order to create less smoke, and then took the magnesium striker from my pack.  The striker had been a lifesaver on this journey as I only had a few matches left when I left the cabin.  Relying completely on matches for the last couple of years, I found it hard when it came to using more primitive approaches.  It had taken me a week before I had finally gotten the hang of using it.

The blade from my knife moved down the block, shaving off small amounts of magnesium that gathered in a pile.  The magnesium was collected on a small piece of birch bark I had stripped from a nearby tree.  As the silver powdery substance grew, I continued to work the knife blade until I had enough to cover a dime sized area.  I then added a small amount of tinder, and a few strikes later I was boiling water over a small fire.  The trick was to keep it small and burn for as little as possible.  Even though I was in the middle of nowhere, I still didn’t want to risk the chance of someone seeing smoke form the fire.  Remaining hidden in the mountains gave me the best chances of survival in this post apocalyptic world.

The fire was put out as soon as the water was done, and after hydrating I went to explore the cliffs just beyond the pond.  It was a supreme view from the ledges.  Almost as commanding as the one I had enjoyed for so long at the cabin.  I stared at the river below that snaked its way through the valley.  While scanning the river my eyes caught the one thing I had been trying to hide.  A steady stream of smoke was breaking free from the canopy of the forest.  This was exactly why I didn’t like having fires during the day.  Someone could be standing on a nearby cliff and spot you, just like I was doing now.

I wondered how many people were in the party.  Were they friendly?  Was it possible they were headed to the same place I was going?  These thoughts and many more went through my mind while I watched the smoke continue to work its way into the air.  It was possible there could be a cabin down there too.  Curiosity might end up being my demise, because I was now determined to hike down there and have a look.  It had been too long since I had seen another person.  I had to take a chance and see if it was someone worth trying to contact.

I returned to the pond and used my hand line to catch dinner for the night.  It was a gift that there were even fish in the pond to eat.  That meant I would definitely be staying here.  It was miracle though when I discovered the fish that occupied this pond were trout!  I couldn’t ask for anything more.  I was sure there was hornpout in here as well, so I would try some night fishing at some point.  There were squirrels running about that I had wanted to shoot with the .410, but with people nearby I couldn’t discharge the gun without jeopardizing my safety.  The little tree rodents were just going to have to wait, and for now my stomach was going to have to settle for fish again.

I prepared a fire pit for the night, but would not light it until after dark.  I cleaned out the trout and hung that up.  I would be able to cook dinner in just under an hour.  I didn’t make a shelter, but it was nice out so I would sleep under the stars.  I would search out a place for a shelter tomorrow, and if I still saw smoke in the valley I would go down the day after.  After all was set for the night, I walked out to the cliffs to watch the sun setting over the mountains that laid to the west of me.

Chapter Twelve

Familiar Eyes

“The wilderness and the

solitary place shall be

glad for them…”

-Isaiah 35:1

I woke up the next morning wrapped in my blanket.  The night had brought with it a long well deserved slumber.  Throughout the night I dreamt of all the events over the last three years leading to this point in time.  It was more of a nightmare than a dream of course.  It had been so long since things were normal that those years were slipping from memory into myth.  It was as if life before the economic crash had not even existed.  I’m sure evidence still existed in the form of useless luxuries and publications, but those would now be relics from an ancient and more peaceable time.  How hard it would be to explain to future generations what life once was.  Would they even believe?  Would future generations take the stand against this turmoil to again bring civilization to a profitable time through hope?  I guess it came down to what steps we, the survivors of today, would take that will guide the direction of the future.  It was up to us now to save humanity and the lives of future generations.

I slowly unraveled myself from my blanket and stretched before starting my day.  I had treated enough water last night so I would have an ample supply for tonight.  Taking my canteen in hand I began to walk out to the cliff face nearby to have a look over the valley.  I was curious to know if the party below would be having an early morning fire to warm up.  It would obviously be a careless decision, but I suspected that was exactly what they would be doing this morning.  That is if they were even still there.  Chances are they could have moved on by now.  Tomorrow I would still visit the valley below to check things out.  Even if someone had been there and left, it was possible they might have left behind something I could use in my travels.  My pack was much lighter with my food supplies diminished, and I now had room to carry other items.

I stepped out onto the cliff, then crouched low as to stand out amongst the rocky face.  My eyes beheld the mountains that expanded for what seemed to be an infinite space.  To the south southwest, dark clouds could be seen slowly moving in.  An apparent storm working its way to where I was now encamped.  Shelter would now take precedence over anything else.  Getting wet here could mean hyperthermia and eventually my death in these lonely mountains.  Taking my eyes from the clouds to the south, I carefully gazed upon the valley below.  Just as I had suspected, a steady stream of smoke rose from a morning fire breaking through the tree canopy above it.  Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting day.  I was going to have to come up with an idea tonight of how I was to approach this situation.

Right now though, I was off to prepare a shelter.  My stomach growled a little with hunger, but I would not eat until the shelter was finished.  I wasn’t going to cook, so I would have to eat a can of cold beans to hold me out until dinner.  Returning to my camp I set down the canteen and had a look around.  There was a small knoll near to me slightly higher in elevation and overlooking the pond.  It was sheltered by hardwood and offered a great place to build.  Hiking to the knoll, I then found a good flat spot by a boulder to put my shelter.  I began to clear the ground to the soil and threw all the debris away from the area.  I scavenged the area for material I could use to construct my temporary home.  I could only stay two weeks at the most before I had to move on again.  So I wasn’t going to get too crazy with the shelter, but I did want some comfort since I was staying more than two nights.  Living in brush shelters was becoming comfortable, and I had to admit I enjoyed them more than having a tent.  You could make the shelter as big or small as you wanted and you were only hampered by your imagination.  They did have their downside though, as small animals, insects, and snakes weren’t so easily kept out.  Though it would have been a problem to me in my early years, living in a shelter halve from time to time in the military had cured me of any protests I might have had.

I cut down a few tall saplings nearby and used them for the roof.  The boulder on the knoll where I was building was about five feet in height.  Pushing one end of each sapling into the ground, I placed the other against the boulder.  This gave me a slanted lean-to with a rock wall.  Taking other branches and small saplings I collected, I weaved them into the main structure.  Then I took the other material I collected, such as pine boughs, and worked those into the structure.  When I had finished with the shelter I went inside to try it out.  It wasn’t a five star hotel, but it would be comfortable enough for my short stay.

Hiking back to last night’s camp, I gathered my gear and brought it up to the new shelter.  Not too soon either as the darkening clouds overhead opened their gates releasing a light rainfall onto the forest.  The rain wasn’t enough to come through the canopy of thick leaves above me though, so I was able to sit outside of the shelter against one of the trees and have lunch.  My knife was used for a crude can opener as I struggled to cut away the lid.  I was going to have to find a flat stone at the next brook or river I came across.  The knife blade was in serious need of a good sharpening.  After cutting away the lid of the can, I slowly spooned the cold beans into my mouth.  They weren’t exactly agreeable to my stomach right now, but I was going to have to force myself to eat if I wanted energy.  As I ate I watched the rain drops creating ripples on the pond’s surface.  Watching the ripples flow from their source made me think of the ripples our man made rain had created.  Ripples that had raced across the surface of the globe, affecting all living life directly or indirectly involved.

The rain continued to lightly fall when I had finished lunch.  I waited for a little while longer then decided to set out a line to catch dinner for tonight.  I found some bait under a small rock, and after hooking the worm I walked out to the pond and threw it out.  After tying the line to a good sized stick, I stuck it in the ground and walked back to the knoll.  While I waited to go and check my line for possible food, I began to work out a plan in my head for tomorrow’s venture down the mountain.  An early start was definitely in order as I would want to be sure to be back here well in advance of nightfall.  I was going to light carrying my rifle and knife.  It would be a good idea to bring my bag to in case I found anything of use.  So I began to unpack so I could bring an empty bag with me.  The lighter the better for this trip.  My mind started to drift off again while I was taking the gear out of my bag.  I wondered about who might be camped below my perch on the side of this mountain.  I couldn’t help but wonder how many as well, and if venturing down the mountainside was even a good idea after all.  The need to find others though was too irresistible.  They must be traveling to where I was now going.  Nothing else made any sense.  We were in the middle of nowhere.  It was possible though that it was a cabin below, and that someone had found a secluded place to hide from all these problems.  In that case they may or may not be so eager to receive a visit.  My plan would be to scout the area from as far as possible in order to make a better judgment call.  If things didn’t look right, I would just forget it for now and go my way.