Hell of a day for a hike, boys!” sure. Where you headed?” “Up the MacIntyres.”
Kootch smiled. “It’ll clear up soon enough.”
The Attendant looked up at the sky. “Not so
The Attendant shot Kootch an odd expression and said, “Well, make sure you sign in and out.”
Kootch paid him a few dollars for the parking fee and we pulled in to find a spot. The place was pretty crowded and we squeezed into a space so tight that Kootch could barely get out on his side. I stood in the rain while he leaned back into the cab and rummaged for some things. I was wet by the time he found what he was looking for.
He looked at me with surprise. “C’mon, Bran, get your stuff ready! There’s a poncho in your pack.”
“We’re really going out in this stuff?”
“Of course. Weather changes all the time around here. If we’re lucky it’ll clear before we get on top.”
He threw his pack over his shoulders, then pulled a poncho over the whole thing and the hood over his head. He looked ridiculous, but it was better than being wet, so I did the same. He helped me get my poncho over the back of my pack. I jumped up and down a few times to settle everything on my shoulders.
He marched off through the lot and I followed. The rain came down harder than ever. At the back of the lot, where the forest closed in, there was a
