6 COLD WATER CAMPING
“I hadn’t put much thought into it,” I admit, but I grin and nod. “Hearing you say it and seeing how you guys have arranged everything, I agree. It’ll be cozy sometimes.”
“Well, as Doug Stone sings, ‘Love grows best in little houses.’” Amy grins as the three of us hug each other.
“Thank you for thinking about the big picture. You’re both helping me see it more clearly.”
I kiss the top of their heads. Leah tilts her head up and grins.
We kiss as Amy wraps her arms around us, and we reconnect.
I pull back to kiss Amy again. My cock is stiff, but my heart is whole with thoughts of how these two exceptional women have filled the emptiness.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s only been a week,” I say, glancing at them. “But I know we all belong together, and this feels like home.”
“That’s what we’re going to do—make this our home,” Amy says, then looks at her watch. “We don’t have much time if we’re going to make camp before dinner.”
“Why do we have to make camp again?” My frequent naps and fascinating dreams have disrupted my morning.
“We need to make it look like we’re camping at the cove so the park rangers don’t suspect anything,” Amy explains patiently as we walk down the stairs. “They always make one final tour of the campgrounds before 10 p.m. We should be quiet in our tents so they’ll think we’re asleep for the night.”
“Too bad we don’t have one of those huge Class-C RVs,” I mention, not looking forward to setting up tents. “We could have some awesome road trips to national parks together, Maybe tour Idaho and Montana.”
“We’ll put that on the list,” Leah says, winking.
“It’s been years since I put up a tent,” I grumble, expecting the worst.
“It’s super easy now,” Amy says, squeezing my hand. “It won’t take long, and we packed air mattresses so your old back won’t have to sleep on the rocky ground.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re only a year younger than me.”
“Seventeen months and fourteen days.” She giggles, then kisses me before I can respond. “I don’t mind you being a silver fox, honey.”
“Everything is loaded,” Paige reports, popping in from the landing. “Bea and Ginny are going to follow us to the campground. Let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”
I follow Leah and Paige down the steps while Amy checks with her assistant manager. As we put on our seatbelts, she hustles down the stairs and jumps into the driver’s seat.
“All set?” she asks as she starts the rig. The loud rumble of its powerful engine vibrates through the passenger space. She looks over her shoulder at Leah and Paige in the back seat, then reaches over and squeezes my hand before shifting into reverse.
“I don’t know why I’m so excited.” She looks out the back window. “The campground isn’t far, and I’ve been there hundreds of times.”
“There are camping spots down by the lodge, too, aren’t there? It seems like that would’ve been a shorter hike.” I stretch my arms and arch my back. My body aches slightly from my vigorous activity the last two days.
“It’s about the same, and besides, the lodge camping spots are always sold out through the summer,” Leah says. “The only time you can reserve one of the cabins is when this is all covered with snow. The campground near the lodge has a months-long waiting list during the spring and summer.”
“That’s encouraging,” I say, glancing at Leah. “Since we plan on making our livelihoods by offering access to hiking, kayaking, skiing, and everything this area offers.”
“It’s always been an active area. It’s close to Salem, Albany, and Eugene for a steady stream of local campers.”
Paige waves her hands toward the west. “But we also draw from Portland and southern Washington.
Bend and Mount Bachelor are a short drive east past the summit, and Sisters is a small town but a fun place for tourists.
“I’m looking forward to doing things in nature instead of office buildings.” I turn back to watch the road. “What things do you like to do for fun?”
“I want to summit each of the Three Sisters,” Paige says, grinning. “I’ve already climbed Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood. I love getting to the top and seeing the 360-degree view from ten thousand feet. Have you ever mountain climbed?”
“No.” I laugh. “I run to keep in shape, but not long distances. Just 5K and 10K routes. I want to keep working at it and getting better though.”
“I’ll whip you into shape,” Paige says, reaching and rubbing my shoulder.
“What about you?” I ask, turning to Amy.
“I love kayaking,” she says. “Hiking is fun, but the challenge of a good set of rapids makes my heart race. Cross-country skiing near Bachelor is fun in the winter.”
I glance over my shoulder at Leah. “I read books.” She laughs and shrugs innocently. “These two love to be active. I’ll stay inside, get lost in a good book, research something, and prepare a good meal for any adventurers when they return.”
Amy turns off the highway and down a road that runs slightly downhill. The lake comes into view, and the lodge is barely visible at the far end. I can see small RVs and tents set up as we pass by the first loop of campsites. It’s been decades since I’ve been here, but the scenery is familiar.
“We’re down at the end, close to the trail,” Amy says, waving ahead at another loop of campsites. “It should be easy to creep out once the campground settles down.”
I recall camping with my grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
We sat outside our tents and pickup campers around bonfires, roasting marshmallows for s’mores.
I grin, enjoying my memories of the rustic campground.
There is an old, hand-powered water pump because while the lake’s water is so icy cold, it’ll make you sick from the algae if you drink it.
“This feels like home.” I grin as Amy turns into a campsite.
She rolls down the window and waves Bea to the campsite just past ours. “We got the two at the end, near the boat ramp. The trail runs right past that, so we can access it without disturbing anyone else.”
We all climb out and walk to the back, where Paige hands out things for us to carry and set up tents. Amy and Leah grab a cooler and a picnic basket and take them to a long picnic table between the two campsites.
Ginny and Bea park by the opposite side of the table, and we start setting things up.
Amy is right; the three small tents are easy to set up.
We’ll have to pair up for sleeping. That’s fine with me; after the last few nights sleeping in a pile of warm bodies, it will be nice to cozy up with just one of my girls.