Ranger

He was average height, average build, gray in his hair, and his trimmed beard, wearing gear that was high quality and new.

His pack was a brand I recognized as expensive.

He was the friendliest of the three.

He called me Ranger and asked how long I had been working the district.

I told him 14 years.

He nodded and said he used to come up into these mountains as a kid.

I asked him which drainages he had hiked.

He said he couldn't remember the names.

That was the first thing.

It wasn't a flag yet.

People forget.

53-year-old men who came up into the mountains as children don't always remember the drainage names.

I logged it away without thinking about it, and we started up the trail.

The hike up was uneventful.

I led.

Trent took the second position without being asked.

Elise was third.

Clark walked at the back, which is the position you give to the least experienced person in the group because it means they can set their own pace, and nobody waits on them.

He didn't complain about the load.

He kept up.