Whitewater Rendezvous

Megan groaned inwardly. Oh, shit. That’s what else I forgot. Thedamn eyeshade. She’d had Grace pick one up at the mall, along with several books about Alaska: fi eld guides to fl ora and fauna, history, indigenous cultures, ecology. She’d devoured them all, had even gone online to read up on Orion Outfi tters and this caribou herd they were going to see.

She had gotten where she was at WNC in large part because of her extraordinary research skills and attention to detail. She was nothing if not fully prepared for any endeavor she decided to undertake, and this trip was no exception. She had packed every single item listed on Orion’s suggested packing list, including all the optional ones, and she’d thrown in a few of her own impulsive purchases from the L.L.

Bean catalogue. It was a good thing money was not an issue—the only things on the list she’d already owned were underwear, toiletries, and a swimsuit.

But the eyeshade was still sitting in the top drawer of her desk.

It wasn’t like Megan to forget things, and this was a rather important item to miss, as she had trouble sleeping even under the best conditions.

What the hell’s happening to me? I’m the master of going with the fl ow,great under fi re, calm in a calamity. So how come going on vacationhas me more stressed than I’ve been in a year?

Megan barely heard the others after that, oohing and ahhing over the sights below. She was too busy compiling a mental list of all the people she needed to call when they landed.

O

Chaz leaned back against the van, watching the southern horizon.

She ran her hands over the front of the Orion Outfi tters T-shirt she’d pulled on, trying to smooth out some of the wrinkles. The navy shirt was so faded it was hard to read the words or make out the namesake constellation drawn above it, but she couldn’t bear to part with it. The rest of her clothes were made of more durable fabrics and bore labels recognizable to any serious outdoor enthusiast.

Sally was occupied digging in her duffel bag for a paperback to read on the plane. They were parked on the edge of a single long runway cut into the tundra, a short distance from Winterwolf. There was no terminal, no control tower, only a pair of well-weathered wind socks

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KIM BALDWIN

to help guide the pilot. The weather was fi ne this early June afternoon, with temperatures in the midsixties. The wind socks barely moved, and the sky was clear and blue.

Chaz was itching to be on their way to the Odakonya; this fi rst day and a half of preparing the clients would drag on more than usual without Sally. They’d worked up a routine that played up each woman’s strengths. Normally, after the welcoming dinner, Sally—the more gregarious of the two—would spirit the clients away and conduct the orientation, while Chaz—the more detail-oriented—would take care of getting their gear together and packing all the meals. The following day, the two of them together would conduct the individual paddling and rolling lessons.

With Sally going away for her daughter’s graduation until tomorrow night, Chaz would have to attend to all their combined duties by herself, but she wasn’t worried. She didn’t think it would be too diffi cult since most of the clients had previous paddling experience.

A speck appeared on the horizon, and her heartbeat kicked up a notch. “Here it comes,” she announced.

O

“Man, we are out in the middle of nowhere,” Megan heard Yancey say as the plane bumped down onto the runway. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t been aware they were about to land.

She opened her eyes and looked around. They’d touched down in a long valley surrounded on every side by snowcapped mountains, the runway a narrow strip of asphalt surrounded by wildfl owers and a few scrawny, low scrub trees. The only other signs of civilization were two wind socks and the blue van they were taxiing toward and, across the tundra, in the distance, a small settlement of buildings.

Finally. She pulled a small day pack from under her seat and began digging through it for her BlackBerry.

“Are those our guides?” Elise asked, with obvious delight in her voice. “I think I’m in love. ”

The pilot turned to glance at Elise with raised eyebrows and a bemused grin.

“Down, girl,” Justine said, but she was straining to get a good look at their welcoming committee, too.

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-14