Brothers After All

By Kathryn Foster

Liz Two Hawks' family escape the reservation and climb into the wilderness to survive when an EMP strikes the United States. A reluctant leader, her childhood vision can reunite the nation if other Americans can overcome their prejudice.

This post-apocalyptic thriller shows the courage of one young Ute woman, political espiona

• Language: English
• Publisher: Livingdownstream Press
• Release date: Oct 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088046463

Book preview

Brothers

After All

Kathryn Foster

Downstream Press

Copyright © 2022 by Kathryn Foster.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author or publisher.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Published by Downstream Press, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907

[e-mail]

Graphic design by S. Winthers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

without formal permission.

ISBN: 9798472865067

Ingram Spark ISBN: 978-1-0880-4639-5

The Red Nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for a sick world, a world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations; a world longing for light again. I see a time of Seven Generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the Sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again.

Čháŋ Óhaŋ

Among the Trees (birth name)

Tȟašúŋke Witkó

Crazy Horse

His Horse is Crazy is the literal translation.

(His father passed down the name when he came of age.)

Preface

This story is dedicated to the First People: To every person who died trying to protect his home, family, and way of life. To those who died from diseases brought by new residents, whether accidentally or deliberately. It’s also dedicated to the Ute People whose homeland is the setting for most of the book. I hope this representation of your people is accurate, fair, and respectful.

This is a work of fiction. The characters are fictitious. The activities that take place during the story are fictitious. Any resemblance to real people or events is coincidental.

I have no native blood or birthright giving me a right to tell this story. It came to me and I wrote it down. It’s offered to readers with deepest respect to The People. The story was first shared with readers from Nuuchiu to ensure representations are accurate. I sincerely hope the story shows the appropriate degree of respect.

What is real?

Quotes from historical First Nation figures are real. Crazy Horse and Black Elk both prophesied the re-emergence of the Red Road in seven generations. Chief Sea’ht’l’s comments were printed in the Seattle Sunday Star in 1887.

The prophecy from Crazy Horse was especially poignant as he had just been lured to Fort Robinson by the U.S. Government. They never meant him to leave alive. His capture was an effort to destroy any remaining hope for American Indians who wished to live free on the land that had been stolen from them.

The Iroquois Confederacy is real. More accurately known as the Great Law of Peace, it was ratified by the original five nations probably in the 1100s, before the Magna Carta. The earliest documentation confirming it is 1450 and that is the date used in the book. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson met with representatives from these tribes and were influenced by what they learned.

The idea for Brothers After All came to me in 2017 while living in Colorado. It started during a trip west as part of a road trip word game. List all the Native American words, names, locations, sites, and historical events along the road. Seemed innocent enough. We started in Sioux City, Iowa, at the headwaters of the Missouri River. I filled two pages before leaving Iowa. We drove through South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado and I filled the notebook, appalled by what I hadn’t recognized. The exercise left me with the impression that American culture floats on top of the deep waters of the cultures and The People who lived here long before the Mayflower.

That was the start. I spent the next three years binge reading historical and fictional writings about the indigenous people living on land across what is now the United States. I visited ancient sites, attended traditional events, listened to drums and songs, and watched dancers. My heart broke more every time I learned something new about the history of white men settling this land. My admiration for those who refused to give up their culture despite what happened continues to grow.

I met Hanley Frost, Sun Dance Chief of the Southern Ute in 2018 and heard him tell about the lives of the Ute People today. That was when the main character became Ute.

I saw the Bear Dancers at the annual event in Ignacio before leaving Colorado in May 2019. I attended Lakota Inipi (sweat lodge) ceremonies in Florissant, CO. Members of the Ute Mountain Ute People, in Towaoc, reviewed the manuscript and provided valuable information. Thank you especially to Chairman Manuel Heart of the Mountain Ute. Thanks also go to Lorilea Cloud, then Cultural Educator Coordinator for the Southern Ute Tribe and Garrett Briggs, a Southern Ute who provided valuable insights and the Ute Creation Story. Thank you to Marie Heart who met with me and provided more information about Towaoc and the Mountain Ute residents.

One other experience solidified my impression of the native experience. I attended a U.S. Army Cavalry re-enactment at the Scottish Fest in Estes Park, Colorado. The cavalrymen demonstrated precision skills using sabers and guns on horseback. Seeing their skills broke my heart. Indigenous peoples never had a chance between the military, the settlers, and the U.S. government.

After living in the U.S. for 65 years without seeing it. I can’t unsee it.

It’s been seven generations.

Map

Glossary

(English (U.S.) to Southern Ute)

Three Ute dialects reflect the oral traditions of the three Ute Nations. The Southern Ute dialect is used here.

American mürükáchì

Anglo mürüká

Apache avaachi

baby nuuruachi

Bear Dance mamaku

beaded moccasin nükavachà

beat in a race tàpiwüna

beautiful naçawaa

big horn sheep nag’achi

bow aáchì

to braid one’s

own hair sugwai

bread paana

brother chàk’achí

buckskin horse söÇachaachi

buffalo kuchù

buffalo robe kùchuvüüvÙ

be burned KwiyaÇa, kwiya

camp overnight avìwii

cavalryman kavasööchi

center türagwaa

circle pöötükwarÙ

claws whkuchi

clothes taaÇ

coffee kàpi

cook kwàsü

corn flour aturÙ

cottonwood

(wide leaf) päasüüvüpÙ

cougar tukù

council chambers apag’ag’anì

cradle konõ

cradleboard avaag’onõ

dance nìkapÙ

dance the Bear Dance mama kwan’Hka

daughter

(teen & older) pachù

dead yeÇekwa

Denver tiapÙ

deer tüi

make dough parupi

dream in quest of

medicine power (pl) puwavüüni kwavi

(sing.) puvavüni Çavi

dress taaÇ

To dry something tavaskwatii

Durango turaco

East tavamawisimana kwapatù

eat tÙkai

eat up suwa

elk pariyÙ

family püa

flour tìlsupÙ

fried bread yüúvaana

garden üapÙ

get out chìpi

Ghost Dance sinawanì kapÙ

girl naivi

grandfather künuuchi

Great Spirit sina wavì

hair paagivì

hawk siigwanachi

hearts muguachi

cloud uwatipÙ

come home paiyuki

come in wagai (plural)

come in yüga (singular)

juniper waÇapÙ

marry naviÇa

medicine man pugwag’atìl

Mesa Verde mùkwiyanipÙ

Milky Way söniawi

moccasins nuupàcha

mountain kaavì

mountain lion tukù

Mountain Ute Weenuuche

(Never Weeminuche)

non-Ute person kümanuuchi

Northern Ute mog’watavi-

Çwaachi

owl muupüchi

peach püû màszzna

peanut butter tüvüapoata

people from Towaoc tog’oiakachiu

pine tree yüvüpÙ

pinto horse sanavögava

Pleiades söniawi

Ponderosa Pine ag’opÙ

pow wow nuunikapÙ

rattlesnake tog’oavì

Southern Ute pinunuuchì

steamy pàkaag’ari

sweat lodge nasaÇi, pàkag’anì

tipi nuugani

Ute Nuuchiu

war bonnet kwàsigaa chog’opÙ

water paa

we tawi

be white ság’a

white sa

white person mürükáchi

wife piwa

wolf sinaavì

woman mamachi

yes úrwai

May 2026

Day One

The middle school skills camp curriculum has been approved for the summer session. Thank you for underwriting the cost. Elizabeth Two Hawks nodded to Chairman Eldon Wings, her father’s longtime friend, then glanced at her husband James.

The room went dark. The council and guests felt their way out of the room, pushing the exit door open into bright sunlight. The Chairman stopped at the door, thanking Liz and James for pulling the camp together. I hope the students get interested in our history. The three stood under the awning at the front door looking around. Cars stood still on highway 160, downhill, north of town. People were spilling out of the Ute Mountain Casino. The Chairman touched Liz’s arm. Daughter, I have a bad feeling.

Washington, D.C.

What do you mean the grid is down? President White’s voice rose. We have the best people in the world. Fix it! I plan to make my tee time this afternoon. He waved off his National Security Advisor.

The vein on his forehead bulged, but his aide told him anyway.

Mr. President, cars and phones are disabled. Air Force One can’t fly. He quaked, knowing the President liked to fire the messenger.

Staff members in the hall froze, hearing the cursing through the door.

General Davis walked resolutely toward the tirade, knocking on the Oval Office door. He entered quickly when the President shouted for whoever was out there to come in. His aide tried to blend in with the furniture.

Maybe the General has some answers, said the President to his quivering aide. He hit buttons on his laptop and on his phone. Nothing lit up. He threw his cell phone across the room in disgust. I’m the f ... ing President and my phone isn’t working!

General Davis cleared his throat and the President looked up.

Well?

Sir, intel from sources outside the strike area is coming to us via Morse code on old channels. South Florida has power as does northwest Washington State. Everything else is dark.

Who did this! I want them on the phone, now, he growled, glancing at the nuclear case resting next to his desk. I won’t stand for it." He knew the answer, but it still pissed him off. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go down.

Sir, we can’t respond. General Davis prayed the Commander in Chief would look away from the nuclear case. Our communication and power networks are down along with most of our backchannels. We expect to hear from NORAD, but for now we are dead in the water, Sir. The General brushed an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve. The tattoo on his forearm itched under the fabric. His Spirit insisted he go home.

The Secretary of State walked in without knocking. Sir, we can’t confirm, but we believe North Korea deployed a nuclear weapon in the atmosphere somewhere over Kansas. The Air Force was scrambling aircraft to intercept a missile that was coming in high in the atmosphere before the lights went out. I believe General Davis made you aware of the issues we’ve had with the North Koreans. We lost communication with our fighters.

President White pushed away from his desk and stormed around the Oval Office as everyone else in the room stood like statues. They waited, hoping he would offer words of encouragement, or direction to pass along to the staff, and to the nation, as the crisis unfolded.

Connect me with the Kremlin, he demanded. Now!

Those waiting in the hallway heard the President yelling, and scurried away. The President’s aide turned to start the process. He glanced at General Davis, who replied with an imperceptible nod. It would take a while to establish any kind of link.

• • •

Brothers After All

To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground ... Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays ...

Chief Sea’th’l (Seattle)

Suquamish, Duwamish

Fear kept Liz going. Her world was unraveling. Her family, teaching, sticking her toe back into her culture a little at a time ... she’d kept it together until today. She’d gotten a few years of being a normal young woman who happened to be Ute, without her father’s reminders. Normal was all she’d ever wanted. Her thoughts fell into the old stories, the vision, the fear she thought she could manage while they walked. James knew the story, but he didn’t push her to share, or question her about what it meant. She wiped her brow to keep sweat from getting in her eyes. She wasn’t sure about much, but she knew this was tied up with her vision and she’d have to face it.

Mama, I’m tired of walking. Minnie said. I want to go home.

Liz held her hand out to Minnie. We’ll stop soon honey. She leaned down to whisper. I think Daddy’s tired, too! Minnie giggled when James looked back and made a face.

James had kept a steady pace in the glaring sunlight on the gravel road through the reservation. It was May, but the dusty golden landscape of greasy grass clumps, Juniper and scrub, surrounded by high, dry mesas looked like mid-summer. He’d followed the Mancos River for the past six hours, weighed down with a 50 lb. backpack holding a tent, tools, and a bedroll. Liz’s pack was nearly as heavy with food, personal items and two sleeping bags. A stuffed cat’s head stuck out of the water bottle pouch on the side of her pack. Minnie reached up to touch Kitty, telling him it wouldn’t be long. Kitty had kept Minnie going.

James slowed down to get Liz’s attention, pointing to a sheltered area along the river that flowed between two golden mesas. They turned off and hiked through greasy grass to get into the shelter of the trees to set up camp. She knew he’d pulled out every wilderness hiking memory stored up from childhood to get them to safety. They needed to avoid roads and other travelers. He and his dad had camped, hunted, and fished along the San Miguel River when he was growing up. His mom gardened, putting up enough fruit and vegetables to last through the long mountain winters and springs. James seldom visited a grocery store until he went to college. She saw the regret in his eyes as he set up the tent beside the river, shaded by a clump of Cottonwoods. He had reluctantly agreed to move with Elizabeth to Towaoc to teach after graduation. She knew each trip to the Uncompaghre National Wilderness to see his parents deepened his desire to return. Those mountains were only a few hours by car, but a world away from the reservation. He loved teaching and his family, but living on the rez was depressing. He hated to see how they lived, knowing the chasm between who they were and who they’d been.

Their time was up in Towaoc. Liz got Minnie from the sitter and ran home to pack after leaving the meeting. Teens practiced at the skate park and residents waited in line at the small grocery next to the Ute Mountain Casino as they’d walked down the road out of town two hours later. Casino guests wandered around, trying unsuccessfully to use cellphones or find transportation back to Cortez. Locals waved at the teachers as they crossed the road and hiked south into the desert east of the highway. James and Liz counted on the fact everyone knew they hiked and camped. They didn’t want the sight to seem odd to anyone. Reservation residents calmly waited for things to return to normal. It wasn’t going to happen.

Liz didn’t respond when James said everything with electronics died. She’d seen it. Liz knew James wanted her to believe they could make it. She could see him thinking of more obstacles as they came to mind. Her father stayed up on Sleeping Ute Mountain most of the year and he hadn’t returned this spring. There was no way to reach him. They had no other family nearby so they couldn’t stay. His parents’ home in the Uncompahgre Wilderness would be a safer place, if they could just get there. They estimated the hike into the San Juan National Forest would take about three days if they kept up the pace without running into trouble. That was unlikely. It would take eight more days to reach the Uncompahgre Wilderness east of Ouray. James patted the 9mm handgun at his hip. Liz prayed he wouldn’t have to use it. Keeping their family safe. That’s the goal.

Minnie’s face glowed in the firelight as she sat in her dad’s lap holding Kitty. Her brown eyes widened as Elizabeth told the story.

In the ancient times only Sinawav, the Creator, and Coyote lived on earth. They had come out of the light so long ago that no one remembered when or how. The earth was young and the time had come to increase the people. Sinawav gave Coyote a bag of sticks and said, Carry these over the far hills to the valleys beyond. He gave specific directions Coyote was to follow and told him what to do when he got there. You must remember this is a great responsibility. The bag must not be opened under any circumstances until you reach the sacred grounds."

What is this I carry? Coyote asked.

I will say no more. Now be about your task, Sinawav answered.

Coyote was young and foolish, consumed with curiosity. What is this I carry? He kept asking himself. As soon as he was over the first hill, and out of sight, he stopped. He was just going to peek in the bag. That could hurt nothing, he thought. Just as he untied the bag and opened a small slit, they rushed for the opening. They were people. These people yelled and hollered in strange languages of all kinds. He tried to catch them and get them back into the bag, but they ran away in all different directions. From how full the bag was after he had gotten it closed, he could tell there was now only a fraction of what he had started out with. He went to the sacred valley and dumped them out there. There was a small number of these people. But those few ones were the Utes, the real Utes from around here.

Coyote then returned and told Sinawav that he had completed the task. Sinawav searched Coyote’s face. I know. Sinawav sighed. You foolish thing. You do not know what you have done. Coyote finally confessed. I tried to catch them. I was frightened. They spoke in strange tongues that I could not understand.

Those you let escape will forever be at war with the chosen ones. They will be the tribes which will always be a thorn in the sides of the Utes, said Sinawav. The Utes, although they will be few in number, will be the mightiest and most valiant of heart. Sinawav then cursed the Coyote. You are an irresponsible meddler. From this time on you are doomed to wander this earth on all fours forever as a night crawler."

Minnie’s face scrunched up, deep in thought, then jumped in. We’re Ute like them! Right, Mommy?

Just like them. Liz shared another story. "The Ute pray to Creator. We pray for Father Sky and Mother Earth. Chief Sea’ht’l, from the Suquamish People, described it like this:

Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.

Elizabeth picked up a small red rock and turned it in her hand. I wonder what this rock has seen? Today, it sees us on our travels. The animals are our brothers and sisters, too. When we hunt, we pray a blessing on the hunt and thank the animals for their lives.

So, the fish didn’t mind when we ate him for dinner? Minnie asked.

James shook his head. No, we thanked him first.

Minnie whispered. I miss my soft bed, Daddy.

James’ heart ached as he wrapped his sweet girl in her blanket. I know, Minnie. But, you like your sleeping bag, too. He pointed to where their bags lay in the tent a short distance from the fire. Our trip to see Grandma and Grandpa is like walking with our ancestors, and living the way they lived. His eyes sank into Elizabeth’s gaze across the fire while he spoke to Minnie. You’ve gotten so big! Grandma and Grandpa will be so excited to see you.

Minnie snuggled into his chest holding up three fingers. That’s because I’m big now. Her eyelids fluttered. She murmured as she reached up to pat his cheek. I love you, Daddy.

James turned to Elizabeth as Minnie sank into sleep. Six hours today helped us get a head start. I think we have what we need to get there. We can forage once we get into the forest.

Liz smiled and reached out to cup his cheek in her hand. We have each other.

He kissed her palm, then rose in one smooth motion with Minnie in his arms. Liz got up more slowly, feeling her sweaty, aching feet. She’d hung the food bag high in a tree away from the campsite, but didn’t really worry. Bear was brother to the Ute. She shoveled the dry dirt over the fire, waiting to make sure it was out. Summer nights stayed in the upper 50s, so they wouldn’t need the fire tonight.

Liz tried to recall the lessons her father had taught her. They’d been close and he’d guided her as a young girl. She desperately needed that knowledge now. Liz and her dad had become a team of two when her quiet, kind mother died. Roberto House had supported her college goal and had been so proud. Still, he’d continued to ask about her vision and what she intended. Eager to get on with her own life, she’d stuffed away her father’s instruction and her own vision.

Liz thought of something else Chief Sea’th’l said as James tucked Minnie into her sleeping bag:

It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many ... Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance ... A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours.

She knew the Ute and the other People would survive, but right now her heart ached for all they’d lost. Elizabeth bent over and stepped inside, turning to zip up the tent door. She slid into her sleeping bag, reaching over to James, taking his hand.

James’ presence made the loss of her Dad easier to bear. James was Tabaguache and proud of it. He’d been less interested in the problems and politics of the tribe growing up in the mountains away from the rez. She knew her vision and determination had pushed him to take the job and live in Towaoc. He hadn’t complained, but it wasn’t his dream. She realized how much of a sacrifice she’d asked him to make. She decided holding his hand wasn’t enough and scooted closer, needing his touch. She kissed his cheek, whispering thank you in his ear. He squeezed her hand, nodding and mouthing I love you before they laid back and closed their eyes. Recalling her childhood vision of the restored flowering tree and the mended Sacred Circle Liz saw a bright future for The People despite Chief Sea’th’l’s sad words. Holding her vision in her heart and James’ hand close, she nodded off. James laid awake, figuring out the best trails to use tomorrow. His exhaustion finally won out.

• • •

Day Two

Liz walked through the red and green ribbon of scrub and trees that outlined the Mancos River at first light. She filled their water bottles and the water bladder in a shallow, rocky spot. She dropped in iodine tablets and pulled out breakfast when she returned. James had the tent packed and Minnie was munching on a breakfast bar as Liz slid the bladder into her backpack.

He saw the water bottles in her hand. We can get more fresh water upstream. We’ll stay on this road until we get to the town of Mancos and cross there. It’s about 19 miles from here and close to the Southern Ute Reservation, James said. Then it’s about 15 miles to the Animas River in Durango. We’ll follow the Animas up to Silverton.

Where’s the water filter?

At the bottom of my pack along with the pump.

We’ll start using it at the next stop. I’d like to save the iodine for emergencies if we can. She attached the treated bottles to their packs with carabiners. Are we crossing before we get to Durango to avoid people? Liz wracked her brain to think of potentially unpopulated places where they could get across Hwy 160.

I think we can cross east of Mancos near Cherry Creek rather than go through town. It will put us on private land for a bit before we hit national forest land. We could stay in the San Juan National Forest until we go under Hwy 550 to the Animas, or we can go further north before crossing 550. James decided that decision could wait. We’ll figure it out when we get closer. We have a few more miles of desert to cover this morning.

• • •

Day Three

Shouting from the road faded with each silent step James took deeper into the trees. The sun barely topped the mountains in the north and east when James walked into their campsite at the riverside. The hour hand on his grandfather’s watch pointed to five. Elizabeth kneeled next to the fire, starting the coffee while Minnie slept. She looked up and froze, seeing his expression. Shaking his head, he pointed up the trail. Wordlessly, she removed the pot, poured the grounds back into the Ziploc bag, and poured the water from the pot on the fire, quickly kicking dirt over it to prevent smoke. James tore the tent down and packed in minutes after gently moving a sleepy Minnie outside. Quest bars would have to suffice until they reached higher ground. They both carried full water bags. They would need every drop on what looked to be a warm day in the desert at over 6,000 feet. As they feverishly geared up, James strapped his pack in front and put a still groggy Minnie in the sling on his back. Elizabeth grabbed all the bedrolls and extra supplies to even out the weight.

James worked faster. He’d gone toward the gravel road they’d been following through the Mountain Ute Reservation to see what was happening. Now he was desperate to get further away from any roads and people. They were still on Mountain Ute lands, but he’d just discovered they weren’t alone.

He’d turned to lope along the deer path on his right and heard a branch crack behind him. Stopping and dropping to the ground he reached for his knife, turning to throw it if needed. Seeing the gun pointed at him made the decision easy. The knife sank into the stranger’s throat as the gun went off. The man grabbed at the knife in his throat, choking and gurgling while blood pumped out, spilling down the front of his shirt. He crumpled. James remained silent and motionless despite the blood dripping from his arm. James slowly rose once he was certain the man was dead and that he’d been alone. He walked over to retrieve his knife, and pulled supplies they could use out of the stranger’s pack. He wiped off his blade, and sliced some plaid cotton cloth from the sleeve of the man’s shirt, wrapping it around his arm. The bullet had just grazed him. James put the man’s gun in his own pack. He expected to need it.

The skin over his bicep throbbed as he jogged back to their camp. He was shaking, but refused to dwell on what had happened. What would his students think of their coach killing someone? Trying to focus on anything else, James realized his family had an advantage. They knew the area, had a head start, and wilderness experience. He shuddered, knowing now what he would willingly do to protect them. He reached down to feel the sheathed knife and his own gun hanging from his belt.

James rinsed off the blood at the stream and rewrapped the wound before heading into camp. The bleeding had stopped. Elizabeth felt his presence before he walked in. Her eyes went to the plaid fabric wrapping and her eyebrows went up. He shook his head. This wasn’t a good time to discuss it and she picked up on his cue.

Elizabeth helped him put on the big pack. His mind was already on the trail ahead. His plan had been to cross the valley west of Durango. That location would limit their time out in the open. The problem was the road they needed to cross sat halfway up a ridge. They would be too easy to spot in the daylight. The route would leave them exposed, but get them to San Juan National Forest and eventually into the Uncompaghre Wilderness. James desperately combed his memory to think of some less traveled trails, but those coming to mind would take much longer and expose them even more. Youth, fitness and acclimation to the altitude would help them gain speed and get further than others. The sagging weight on his back reminded him of their precarious situation. He hoped Minnie would sleep for a while this morning.

Elizabeth followed as James picked up the pace. She squinted into the morning sun. The extra daylight would keep them warm at night and let them hike further. They hoped to make 10 miles today, getting close to Mancos northeast of Mesa Verde National Park. She visualized the trails after they crossed 160 that would take them up through the San Juan National Forest and eventually into the Uncompaghre Wilderness where his parents lived. How did this tie into her vision? Maybe she’d