Ranger

But it meant we were on our own, and dispatch wouldn't start worrying about us until we missed our check-in the next morning, and a rescue team couldn't move on the trail until the weather cleared, which wasn't going to happen for at least 12 hours, and possibly much longer.

I explained this to the three of them in plain terms.

I told them we had plenty of firewood, plenty of food, plenty of water.

I told them the shelter had been through worse.

I told them we would ride it out and walk down in the morning or the morning after.

I asked them to conserve stove fuel and not to open the door for any reason.

None of them argued.

Clark said, We should probably get to know each other then.

Long night ahead.

That's when I first started paying attention to him.

He was warm about it.

Relaxed.

He was sitting on the edge of his bunk with his boots off, his wool socks drying near the stove, a tin cup of instant coffee between his hands.

Trent was up in his bunk reading a paperback.

Elise was at the small table working on a crossword puzzle she had brought folded in her pack.

Clark started asking questions, and the questions were the kind of questions that a friendly person asks on a long night.

But there was something about the rhythm of them that I couldn't place at first.

He asked Trent what part of Montana he was from.

Trent said Bozeman.

Clark asked what kind of seasonal work.