PURE FICTION

Hiking With Jamie

A Trail of an Adventure

Jamie’s eyes swept across the mountains that surrounded him. A blanket of wildflowers — bright yellow poppies and deep purple lupine — carpeted the hillsides. The blooms, courtesy of abundant spring rains, made this hike into the desert foothills the thing he enjoyed most about living in Arizona.

The solitude of hiking alone deep into the desert made him both joyful and nervous. He hadn’t seen another human being on the trail for at least twenty minutes. He could do without the throng of winter visitors that crowded the trails this time of year. Yet the sign at the entry to the trailhead warned of encounters with post-hibernating wildlife. The absence of cell service meant he was alone, isolated from any help, should he need assistance.

As he stepped over the rise, the flora gave way to dry rocky terrain. A half-mile ahead, the trail narrowed, heading down toward a dry riverbed. The pathway wound between two boulders where a two-foot drop-off had developed. He would have to watch his step on the loose gravel at the base of the dry wash.

When he stepped down from the firm ground, he heard the familiar sound of a Diamondback Rattler. Looking down, Jamie found himself face to face with an ominous viper, all curled up and ready to strike. Before he could react, the six-foot demon sprang, narrowly missing Jamie’s leg with its first attack. Jamie nearly lost his balance, scurrying back up to the solid ground of the trail and out of striking distance.

Jamie had seen the pictures of unsuspecting hikers, who were caught daydreaming. Their arm or leg swollen to a hideous size. The skin discoloring as the poisonous venom spread through the injured tissue. He heard the stories of how they fought against time to seek medical attention. Some made it, some didn’t.

For now, he was safe. But he needed a plan of action. The rattler showed no signs of wanting to move out of his comfortable resting spot and Jamie had no way to encourage him to leave. He gazed around for a stick, a tree branch, anything he could use to shoo the menacing beast out of the way. The dry desert trailhead provided few natural resources he could use as a weapon.

His only recourse was to grab a handful of rocks and bombard the monster with stones. His first couple of attempts missed their mark, bouncing away harmlessly. The dangerous reptile remained unfazed. When his third attempt seemed to hit the target, he thought he was home free. But the assault only angered the snake even more, hissing and rattling in an intimidating fashion.

It was time to decide, find another way around the problem, or retreat up the trail, a distance of several miles. He gazed up and down at the rocky terrain he would have to traverse to bypass the bottleneck, and it looked even more threatening than the dry riverbed. Who knows what dangerous creatures are hiding under those rocks? Bobcat? Javelina? Scorpion? More Snakes?

The snake had Jamie trapped. His only choice was to wait it out, hoping the snake will move on.

As he paced back and forth on the groomed portion of the trail. Out of nowhere, a gray-haired gentleman, a seasoned and experienced hiker, appeared on the other side of the wash.

Dressed in little more than a t-shirt, shorts, hiking boots, and a beige “boonie” hat, he looked like easy prey for the treacherous viper.

Jamie cried, “Sir, watch out! There is a rattler right in front of you.”

The cantankerous old guy glanced down at the snake, who sat coiled and ready to strike. He waved his hand in front of the creature. The snake immediately uncoiled half the length of its body, its mouth open, its fangs positioned to bury themselves in his flesh. The old man shifted his hand just in time to avoid the predator’s bite. Then, just as swiftly, he grabbed the demon by its rattle and with one continuous motion flung it high up the rocks, away from any harm.

The old man stepped up from the wash, looked at Jamie, and said, “You’re welcome.” Then he strode past Jamie and headed up the trail. In seconds, he was out of sight.

Jamie couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. Still awestruck, he whimpered, “Thank you.”

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