Part 9 - The Camping Trip
(Note: While partly autobiographical, this ongoing story is a synthesis of experiences that occurred at different times. Beyond those parts which are my own experiences, it is strictly fictional. It is the story of a developing relationship between two teenage boys, including sexual experiences. Please comply with the laws where you live concerning such literature, and read it only if you can do so legally. If you are offended by this sort of material, please find other things that will not offend you. My thanks to all of you who have emailed encouragement and ideas. I appreciate your input. Copyright 2012 Tyler Arthur.)
I was instantly and fully awake. That part was normal - I was never the kind of person who wanders around in a daze for an hour before becoming functional. However, on this day I was more instantly awake than usual. Eric and I were going backpacking overnight in the wilderness area. I had been looking forward to this and planning the details for a month. I was pumped, to put it mildly.
I checked the clock. It was five thirty, and daylight was just starting to arrive. I was up in a flash. Eric would arrive at a quarter to six for breakfast. We planned to leave about six o'clock. Dad was working the night shift and wouldn't be home until after eight. The girls were still sleeping. Mom had the day off, and she had invited Eric to join us, her and me, for an early breakfast before Eric and I left. Besides being sure we both got started with full stomachs, it gave her an opportunity to get acquainted with my new friend without interruptions. I wasn't positive, but I suspected Lisa had instructions to stay invisible until we left. Mom wanted to do this getting acquainted on her terms. This was her strategy, and it was fine with me. Mom was the right person to get acquainted with Eric first, and this way Eric wouldn't be overwhelmed by the whole family.
I could smell the bacon frying in the kitchen. In about two minutes, I was dressed correctly for the activity and for the chilly early morning temperatures of late August. The hiking uniform still included my favorite cargo shorts that Eric had given me, but it was supplemented by a warm sweatshirt, heavy socks, and serious hiking boots. I re-checked the contents of my backpack. It contained a change of clothing including long pants, my sleeping bag, a towel, standard emergency items, and several pints of water. I was in charge of food, so it also contained the food and cooking equipment for the evening meal and breakfast the next day.
Eric shared my opinion about food for backpacking which was "keep it simple". Dinner would consist of a large quantity of reconstituted freeze-dried beef stew. Breakfast would be a similar just-add-water breakfast combination that was a breakfast burrito filling. I had the tortillas to go with it. The eating utensils were similarly basic. Heating would be accomplished with my one-burner propane stove that I affectionately called "the blowtorch". Lunch was sandwiches. They would be packed in for day one and left in a cooler in the car for day two. Granola bars for snacks completed the menu. We were packing the water we would need because we would be camping in an upper meadow away from the water sources.
I headed for the kitchen to get the sandwiches out of the refrigerator and into my pack and the cooler.
"Morning, Mom," I said. "Thanks for making breakfast for us."
"It's my pleasure, Ty, and happy birthday," she replied. "I'm happy to get you and Eric off to a good start. You don't get to go on an outing like this very often, and I want you to enjoy it."
I gave her a kiss. "Thanks so much, Mom. You're the best."
Birthdays at our house weren't a big deal. They were acknowledged by a birthday cake and a simple gift or two. For me this year, that would be postponed until the next evening. The younger girls sometimes had friends over for a party, but Lisa and I had now outgrown those events.
Eric showed up right on time. I was suddenly looking at his car through my mom's eyes. It was an older Toyota hatchback with a few dings, but it was sturdy and reliable, a conservative and functional car for a teenager. I decided that it made a good first impression on someone looking for maturity in an 18-year-old.
I had suggested to Eric weeks earlier that Mom needed to see his 'good hiking buddy' side and not his 'hot stud' side. He had done very well implementing that principle. I noticed first, with approval, that he had on a different pair of cargo shorts, tan instead of his camo pair that were identical to mine. A conservative brown sweatshirt featuring the university that he might attend and some high quality hiking footwear completed the ensemble.
I let him in through the kitchen door.
"Mom, this is Eric. Eric, this is my mom."
Mom took the initiative. "I'm pleased to meet you, Eric. Ty has told us about your college plans and your study sessions together. And to add to Ty's introduction a little, please call me Mary. We aren't formal around here."
I was turning a little red. Shit! I never could get introductions right.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Mary," Eric responded. "Ty has been a big help with my review of math. He's spent a lot of time at that. He's a good friend."
"Go ahead and sit here, Eric," Mom indicated a chair as she brought bacon, eggs and pancakes to join the orange juice and milk that were already on the table.
"I'm very happy that Ty has a friend who shares his enthusiasm for hiking," Mom continued as we started eating. "He spends a lot of time hiking by himself. Having a good hiking buddy will be great for him."
Damn! She was even using my expression. I was beginning to think I had written the script for her.
"I'm happy to have met someone who shares my enthusiasm for the outdoors," Eric replied. "I think Ty and I have a lot in common that way."
"Do you live with your parents?"
"No, I have my own apartment now. I turned 18 just before I graduated, and my parents were OK with me having my own place. I work at the gas station in town. My parents will help me with college expenses, but otherwise I'm trying to be independent."
"I think that's an excellent idea. It's good experience to have. Will you be going away to college?"
"That's still up in the air," Eric replied. "I don't know whether to go to the university or commute the 20 miles to the community college. I need to make that decision this week."
"Good luck with your decision and your studies. I'm sure you'll do well."
As we finished eating and rose from the table, Eric started to carry his dishes to the sink. Mom stopped him.
"I'll take care of that. You boys get going. It's a long way to the trailhead, and you shouldn't waste any time."
"Thanks very much for breakfast, Mary. I appreciate getting to know you." Eric was indeed on his best behavior, but it was his normal behavior. There was nothing artificial about it, and I knew that Mom was reading it that way too.
"I enjoyed getting to know you too, Eric," Mom replied. "You boys be careful and have a good time."
I picked up my pack, and Eric grabbed the cooler. I gave Mom an appreciative peck on the cheek as we headed out the door.
Loading the gear into Eric's car, we drove down the driveway and were on our way.
"I think you passed the first round of interviews, Bro," I said as we started down the highway.
"I enjoyed meeting your mom," Eric replied. "And if I'm any judge of character, I think you might find her more supportive than you believe. I think she knows more about you than you realize."
I thought about that a while. Mom wasn't a fool. I wondered how much she was reading between the lines.
"You may be right. I'll give that some further thought. Do you know how to get to the trailhead?"
"We want to go in from the north end, right?"
"Yes."
"No problem."
He pulled the car over at the next wide spot.
"We're not having an emergency again, are we?" I asked.
Eric grinned and then gave me a big hug and a kiss.
"Happy birthday, birthday boy. I'm happy to be sharing it with you."
"Nobody's happier than I am," I replied, detecting a tear or two forming in my eyes.
The hour-long drive into the mountains was beautiful. The weather was crisp and clear with a hint of fall. It was perfect and was predicted to stay that way for several days, something that wasn't always true this late in the summer. As we climbed higher, we passed several waterfalls that were still in good form in spite of the dry year. We had to slow twice for deer crossing in front of us.
At the trailhead, we got our packs out of the car and re-divided the water to make the weight equal. The temperature was quite cool, but the sky was clear, and we knew we would warm up on the steep climb out of the parking area. We stashed our sweatshirts in our packs and headed up the trail.
The trail climbed steadily to the south for over a mile. I always enjoyed the scent of the trees on this part of the hike. On this day, I was also enjoying the sight of the muscles in Eric's legs and ass cheeks. I was wishing his shorts were in his pack too. That would have to wait. This part of the trail was well-traveled.
The trail leveled off at the top and opened into a meadow. This wilderness wasn't that large as wildernesses go, only about 15 miles long by 6 miles wide, but it was an incredible collection of alpine lakes and meadows interspersed by gray rock peaks. During the summer months, it was usually the home to lots of mosquitoes, and they weren't always gone by late August. We had brought repellent, but the light snowfall the winter before and the dry summer were in our favor for this issue. The mosquitoes were absent.
Our path now led through a series of lakes and meadows for about two miles. As the sun warmed the land, we could smell the huckleberries ripening in the sun. We soon came upon a large patch of these.
"Food and water break," I said.
"You bet, dude," Eric replied. "Nature's food. The best."
While we enjoyed the fruit that nature had provided, I reflected on this area in general. A few miles to the west, next to the wilderness area, there were large tracts of huckleberry bushes, long used by Native Americans as a food source. The Native Americans loved this area as much as Eric and I did, if not more. Besides picking and drying huckleberries in the fall, they spent time here socializing in their traditional ways.
Finishing with the morning snack, we skirted another lake and then climbed a steep trail for about a quarter of a mile. At the top, we stashed our packs in a grove of evergreen trees. We would return here later in the day and proceed east about a mile through the high meadows to our planned campsite. For now, we put sandwiches, water, and what we would need for the day into small day packs and continued on our way.
We soon dropped back down to the central point of the wilderness where most of the trails joined together. At this junction, there were usually other hikers, even on a midweek day like this one. Today was no exception, and we briefly greeted several hikers who were taking a break there, before we moved on.
Our next destination was the best lake for swimming, about two miles away. However, I suddenly had a different idea. This trail led past an ancient volcanic crater that rose about 800 feet in elevation above the surrounding area.
"I've always wanted to hike into the crater, but I've never been here with anyone willing to do that," I said. " What do you think?"
"You're on, dude," Eric replied. "What's the best way in?"
"I think from the southwest corner. Let's try that."
We continued south on the trail for another half mile or so, climbing slightly. Just before we started to descend to the lake, we left the trail and climbed northeast up the outer slope of the crater through the forest. Using the flagging that I always carried in my emergency kit, I marked our way to the top.
Looking down into the crater was awesome. The walls were covered with trees, but the bottom itself was a large grassy meadow. We continued on down the crater wall, marking our way in. I had been warned that it was easy to get lost in here and end up going out the wrong way.
It was eerie at the bottom of the crater. Other than a pair of ravens calling to each other overhead, there was no sound. It was like stepping out of civilization and back in time. We dropped our packs, and surveyed our surroundings.
"Let's hang out here for a while," I said. "And let's get comfortable. We're definitely alone now."
We stripped completely, laid out our swimming towels, and stretched out for a rest.
"This is perfection," I observed.
"Absolutely, dude," Eric said in agreement. "Just you and me and nature. Who could ask for more."
He leaned over and gave me a big kiss. Soon he was on top of me, kissing me passionately. We were both recovering rather quickly from the hiking, and our throbbing boners rubbing against each other made me want to be doing more.
Eric rolled over on his back and reached for something in his day pack. He handed me a small wrapped package.
"Happy birthday, Bro," he said with a smile.
I unwrapped the package. It contained a bottle of high-quality lube.
"Only the best for my favorite stud." He was grinning broadly now. "That's the first half of the present. You know how to use that part and where to find the rest."
I looked at him with a combination of love, lust and a lot of nervous apprehension.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!"
Kneeling beside him, I liberally spread the lube on my throbbing cock. Carefully, I spread some of the gel between his legs. He winced slightly as I penetrated his asshole with my finger and rolled it around.
"Better put a second finger in there before we continue," he said.
Slowly, I slid a second finger in alongside the first. He winced again.
"You're sure about this?" I asked.
Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I'm very sure."
I worked the two fingers up to the knuckles and rotated them slightly.
Eric let out a gasp.
"Was that pain or pleasure?" I asked.
"Both."
I withdrew my fingers and knelt between his legs. Supporting myself with my hands, I leaned over and kissed his eager mouth, sliding our cocks together at the same time. Gently sliding down his stomach, my cock slid down into his ass crack. I pressed forward slightly, and my cock slid down between his cheeks. Trying again it slid back up beside his cock.
"I think I'm gonna need a little help with this," I said.
Reaching down, he positioned me correctly. I pressed forward. No luck. I pressed forward a little harder. Still no success.
"Jesus Christ, you were right about a couple of virgins trying to figure out what the hell to do," I said.
He laughed. That relaxed him, and the head of my cock popped right on in.
We both let out a gasp of surprise.
"You OK, Bro?" I asked.
"Never better," he replied with a smile. "I didn't think you were that big. How much is in?"
"Maybe an inch."
"Dude, I'm glad you don't have a horse cock! This may take a while."
"We've got all day, Bro," I said. "Don't let me hurt you."
"I won't. Press on."
Slowly I slid in another inch. I couldn't believe how good this felt. My cock was throbbing and tingling from the feeling of being inside Eric's ass. Eric was laughing now.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"You should see your face. You look like the kid who just discovered the candy store."
I grinned. "I'm not surprised. This beats the candy store by a mile."
He was still grinning broadly. "Good! That's the way it should be."
Another inch, and he was grimacing again.
"You wanna stop?"
"No way!" he replied. "Like I said, that look you see is both pain and pleasure. Keep going."
"I'm only half way in, Bro. Is this gonna work?"
"You bet it is."
I pushed some more. My cock throbbed against the inside of his ass. I could feel his muscles tighten against it. I cried out in pleasure as I pressed in the rest of the way.
"Shit, Eric!" I gasped. "This is so good I can't even describe it to you."
He smiled through what had to be a lot of pain.
"That's OK, Bro. I'll get my turn another day and then I'll know too. You'll also learn that this part is less painful than you think. It feels awesome to have you inside me. It feels right."
I slid out and back in, closing my eyes because of the intense pleasure. I repeated that a couple more times.
I opened my eyes and looked down into Eric's. He was smiling, and his twinkling eyes were laughing at me. He was clearly enjoying this in spite of the discomfort.
"I'm loving this, Ty. A really fun part is watching the expression on your face," he said. "It changes every second in ways I've never seen before, and sometimes it almost looks like you're the one in pain."
I dropped my head to rest a little. I was panting heavily. The sun was shining on my back, and I was sweating like crazy. I had so many feelings going on in my brain and my body that they were impossible to sort out. This was emotional and sensory overload like never before.
"Are you OK, Bro?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
I looked at him through glazed eyes.
"I'm far from 'in pain', and 'OK' doesn't even begin to cover it properly. I think I've gone to heaven."
"See if you can work your way up to seventh heaven, then," was his smiling response.
I continued sliding in and out. With each stroke, the intensity of the pleasure of being inside Eric grew. I continued to stare into his eyes, but it was clear he couldn't see me any more, and I could barely focus on him.
I heard him gasp and felt his cum spray up onto my chest. I couldn't believe that what I was doing could have this effect on him. Then my sense of hearing went away entirely. Nothing existed except Eric and me, united in a way I had never thought possible. I felt like I should have cum long ago, but it just kept getting better and better. I could feel only the sun on my back and Eric under me and around me. As the intensity grew and grew, I began to wonder if it would ever end. I knew I was crying out like a wounded animal, over and over, even though I couldn't really hear it.
As Eric came in between us for the second time, I started to cum. With a thrust deeper than any before, I began to fill Eric. Over and over, I thrust deep into him, screaming hoarsely and unloading more cum each time. With a final thrust and a groan almost of agony, I collapsed on top of him.
I recovered in a few seconds, but Eric still looked like he was in a trance. I suddenly wondered if I had killed him. I put my mouth on his, not sure whether to kiss him or give him artificial respiration. I tried the kiss first and he came back to life, responding passionately to my kiss.
"Welcome back, sleeping beauty," I said with a smile.
"That was absolutely awesome, dude," he said, still with a bit of a glazed look in his eyes. "That was the most incredible thing I ever experienced. You even made me cum hands-free."
"Twice, I think."
He looked at me in amazement. "Really, dude? It felt like one long orgasm to me. I have no idea how long it lasted."
I smiled. "I thought I was the one getting the pleasure out of this. I thought you would just be in pain."
"Oh, no way dude! I hope I can make it as good for you, but that will have to be another day."
I fell back on top of him. The sun was warm on my back, and I did what I always did best after these incredible experiences with Eric. I fell asleep. My shrinking cock was still embedded inside of him.
I woke up about 5 minutes later as Eric rolled me over onto my back. He gave me a big kiss.
"Time for lunch," he said.
For some reason, we were both very hungry, and the sandwiches went down very quickly. We dressed and stowed our towels and things in our packs. We climbed out the way we had come in, taking down our flagging as we went. Upon joining the trail, we stopped and checked the time. The side trip had taken longer than expected, but we still had enough time for a nude dip in the lake.
Arriving at this lake is an experience in itself. You are walking through the forest, and when you round a certain bend in the trail, the lake is just suddenly there in front of you in all of it's beauty.
"It's so beautiful!" Eric said, as if to emphasize this point. "I always love arriving from this direction."
"Let's head out to the peninsula and swim from there," I said. "It's the best place for that activity."
We walked around the south end of the lake and onto the peninsula. A few small fish were visible in the crystal clear water.
We stripped, waded out, and dove in. The water was invigorating. More accurately, it was just incredibly cold. At this elevation, it never really got warm. We swam a ways out into the lake and stopped, looking at each other. A silent dare passed between us. We continued swimming towards the middle of the lake. I gave in to the temperature first, and began swimming rapidly towards the shore. Eric laughed and followed.
We got out and sat on a log looking out at the lake, drying in the warm afternoon sun.
"This would have been an awesome place to camp," I said. "The only problem is that it's too popular. I think it would have cramped our style."
"You picked the right place to camp, dude," Eric replied. "It's secluded. We don't need company on this trip."
Some hikers were coming down the other trail from the northwest. We were in full view about a quarter of a mile across the lake, but we didn't budge an inch. While the peninsula was away from the center of activity here, it was in plain sight of the northwest trail and the entire shoreline. To us, swimming nude was the natural thing to do here. If anyone saw us, it was their problem or pleasure, however they chose to view it.
I looked at the sun. "We better get going, Bro, or we're gonna be eating in the dark, and I didn't bring a lantern."
"I think we've got plenty of time," Eric replied, "but we probably better go."
We dressed, grabbed our day packs, and then retraced our route back to where we had stashed the rest of our gear. Eric was right. We had plenty of time. It was probably about five o'clock, and it wouldn't get dark for three more hours.
We put everything back into our larger packs and shouldered them, ready to go. Then I had yet another idea, and set my pack down.
"We're gonna be hiking off-trail through open meadows," I said. "We won't need our shorts, and I don't think we'll need our hiking boots either. These meadows are really quite easy on the feet."
Eric grinned. "Great idea!" he said as he also dropped his pack and began to strip.
Hiking completely naked was a new experience for both of us, and we enjoyed the freedom immensely. There was a feeling of being truly connected to the earth and to nature. Experiencing the warm breeze over every inch of our bodies was a sensual experience not to be missed. To my way of thinking, it was a religious experience as well. To me, God and nature were the same thing, especially here. Hiking naked was connecting with God. On a more earthy note, I was also enjoying watching the smooth movement of Eric's naked ass as he walked.
After the first half mile, we stopped for a break. The breeze felt even better without my pack. We took a drink of water and then stood looking out at the meadow and the mountains beyond. I began caressing that nice ass I had been watching, which resulted in some serious hugging and tongue gymnastics.
"This could lead to a lot more, but I think we need to be getting on to the camp site," Eric observed. "Furthermore, I think it's your turn to lead."
"Why?" I asked. "I like following you. You're a good leader."
"No way, dude," he answered with a smile. "I know you've been back there enjoying my ass, and it's time for me to enjoy yours for a while."
I grinned. "OK, fair is fair."
We camped at the east edge of the meadow, next to the border of heather and huckleberry that separated these meadows from the forest. Eric set up the tent and spread the sleeping bags while I prepared dinner. Eric seemed to be taking a long time inside the tent. When he came out, he was grinning.
"I was right. Our bags do zip together."
I don't know why, but that fact gave me an instant boner, visible to Eric since we were still completely naked. I looked at him and saw that he had one as well. We smiled at each other in anticipation of what those facts all meant, but first we needed to eat.
The food was great, but it always is when you are eating it at 6000 feet in the mountains. There was nothing left, but we were satisfied.
We were sitting side by side with our legs crossed, much as the Native Americans would have done. We were still naked, watching the sun drop in the west. Eric reached into his pack and brought out a small box. Opening up the box, he set a single cupcake on our inverted cook pot, and inserted two candles into the cake, lighting the candles with a match. Then he reached back into his pack and brought out a bottle of champagne and a small piece of paper. He opened the champagne bottle and poured a good supply into one of our camping cups.
"There isn't enough room on the cake for 16 candles, but that's OK. This is both a birthday celebration and a religious ceremony. The Native Americans held many ceremonies in these meadows, and now we will too. This is what I have to say to you."
He held up the paper. There was just enough light left to read by.
"In this place, sacred to both of us, I, Eric, confirm you, Ty, to be my proven brother and soul mate. I hope that someday soon you will be my partner forever as well. I love you unconditionally, and I will always support you in every way and cherish you forever."
I was stunned, but I did not hesitate. I took the paper from him, and repeated it back to him with tears running down my cheeks.
"In this place, sacred to both of us, I, Ty, confirm you, Eric, to be my proven brother and soul mate. I hope that someday soon you will be my partner forever as well. I love you unconditionally, and I will always support you in every way and cherish you forever."
Eric removed the burning candles from the cake and handed one to me. He took a bite of the cake and handed it to me to take a bite. He handed me the cup. I took a drink and returned it to him. He also took a drink. I instinctively knew what came next. He held his candle in front of my face, and I held mine in front of his as we blew out each other's candles.
I reached over and gave Eric a big hug and a kiss.
"Thanks for making my birthday so special, Bro," I said.
Eric smiled at me. "You make every day special for me."
Eric split the rest of the cake in two, poured half of the champagne into the other cup, and then filled them both. We sat in silence, finishing the cake and the bottle of champagne, watching the sun go down.
The need for warmth, more than anything else, drove us into the tent and into the joined sleeping bags. We gently kissed and hugged for a half hour or so. It felt so good to cuddle up in the warm sleeping bag with my brother and soul mate. We were both hard, but neither of us had the energy left to do anything about it. The last thing I was aware of was Eric curled up behind me, his left arm over me pulling me close to him, and his warm body pressed against my back.
I awoke about midnight on my back with Eric lying beside me, also awake. I reached over and touched his cock. It was rigid. He turned and kissed me.
"Got enough energy to play a little now?" he asked.
I smiled at him. "Yes, I think I'm more or less recovered."
"We're going to make a mess out of these sleeping bags. Let's not worry about it. I'll take them with me and wash them both if you can make a good excuse for not having yours when you get home."
I grinned at him. "You're on."
He rolled over on top of me, reaching for the bottle of gel. Spreading it liberally between us on our cocks and stomachs, he began sliding his cock against mine. He was making good use of those "physics lessons about friction" that we had learned during breaks from the math tutorials. We were also probing deep into each other's mouths with our tongues. I loved feeling his strength as he ground his cock against my stomach. I wanted him in this position forever. My arms were around him now, hugging him close. I was moving under him, wanting to make it better for him if I could. This one was going to be just for him. I was watching the pleasure in his eyes as he gasped and his cum spread between us. He lay there a minute, gasping for breath.
"Did you cum, Bro?" he asked.
"Not that time. That one was for you. I enjoyed watching the expression on your face just like you were watching me earlier today."
"You need to help me mess up the sleeping bags. Try this."
He rolled off me and turned on his stomach.
"Get on top and slide your cock between my ass cheeks. I think you'll like it."
I lubricated myself a little more and lay on top of his back, my knees beside his thighs. I began to slide my cock against his ass cheeks. This was a new one for me, but I liked it immediately. His warm lubricated ass felt awesome against my cock. I kissed his neck and the upper part of his back. I leaned down and nibbled on his ear and licked inside it with my tongue. It must have tickled, because he began struggling under me like he was trying to escape. I rather liked that. This was becoming a wrestling match now, and I was on top and loving it. As I continued to play with his ears and pin him down, he was struggling and grinding up against me. Now we were giggling and laughing and my cock was feeling better by the second. I let out a loud groan as I pasted his back with my cum and collapsed on top of him. I lay there for a while, just enjoying the feeling of lying on top of him with my cum between us. The inside of his ass had been the best, but the outside was OK too, I thought.
We fell asleep again to the sound of the coyotes baying at the full moon. I think we both slept like the proverbial dead. It had been a rather phenomenal day for both of us.
I was having a dream that someone was stroking my cock. Usually this dream ended with me waking up with wetness on the sheets. Today it was not a dream. I woke up with my cock actually in Eric's hand. He must have been stroking it gently for some time, because, with a gasp, I came almost immediately.
I leaned over and kissed him. "I would like to wake up like that every day."
"Someday you will be able to do just that," he replied. "In the meantime, we should get going. It's nearly eight o'clock."
It was cold. We dressed in sweatshirts and long pants. Nudity was not an option in the mountains early in the day.
We started by heating water for hot chocolate, followed soon by the breakfast burritos. A night's sleep hadn't cured our hunger. The food all disappeared promptly.
"We should be eating pemmican and huckleberries," I observed. "This is the wrong ethnic food."
"I would starve on pemmican and huckleberries this morning, dude," Eric replied. "I'm quite happy with Mexican ethnic food."
We took our time breaking camp. Both of us were reluctant to leave this magical place. By the time we were ready to go, the sun had warmed the air, and we were back to boots, cargo shorts, and skin. It may not have been quite warm enough to be shirtless, but that was the right way to dress in this place.
Just before leaving the meadows for the hike down to the parking lot, we stashed all our gear again and took a brief climb to a nearby high point. This had been another crater, but here the far wall had eroded away. Far below us was a beautiful lake that had once been inside the original crater. To the north was a series of snow-covered peaks that stretched into the distance. We sat on a rock in silence, our arms around each other, taking in this view. It was a perfect end to a beautiful camping trip.
Back at the car, we ate a late lunch of sandwiches from the cooler and headed home. I was sad to leave, but I was so happy to have spent this time with Eric. As always, he had made the activity far more than I ever could have imagined.
As we slowed down to turn into the driveway, I said to Eric, "You'll probably have an opportunity to meet more of my family today."
"That would be good," he replied.
I was right. As we drove up, my dad came out of the house, carrying a bag of feed for the calves. He set it down.
"Hi Dad," I said as we got out of the car. This is my friend Eric. Eric, this is my dad."
I had failed to introduce my mom properly by accident. This was deliberate, but only because I knew my dad. From him I had gotten my antisocial streak. Dad wasn't hostile, he just wasn't social.
"Hi, Eric," Dad said as they shook hands. "Did you boys have a good campout?"
"Yes we did, sir," Eric replied.
"I'm glad to hear that. If you'll excuse me, I'm headed to the barn to feed the animals."
That was the usual. Just a little brusque.
As we finished unloading my pack and the cooler, Lisa came out the door.
"Hi Lisa, this is my friend Eric."
Lisa was being surprisingly reserved, for Lisa. I could tell she found Eric esthetically gratifying, but she didn't bat her eyes or make any of her usual "come hither" moves.
"Hi Eric, it's nice to meet you. I'm happy Ty has a friend to go camping with. He spends too much time hiking alone."
First Mom, and now Lisa. That "too much time hiking alone" seemed to be the theme of the moment.
"We had a great time. The wilderness area is a wonderful place," Eric replied.
"I think it would be a great place to go with someone you really love." Now she was getting that usual dreamy look in her eyes.
Eric smiled. "I agree, Lisa. And now I need to get home. Tomorrow is a work day."
Lisa and I waved as Eric drove away. Lisa took my hand, something that wasn't unheard of, but wasn't common either.
"He's wonderful, Ty. You're in love with him, aren't you?"
I swallowed once. I've said before that Lisa and I were close. Apparently we were closer than I thought. I needed to be honest with her.
"Yes, I am. Is it that obvious?"
"Only to me." She squeezed my hand and went back into the house.