cold, didn’t bring a first aid kit. After the sun went down it got dark real fast. They charged off to get
to their camp at Iceberg lake, 3000 feet below.”
I stretched out glad to be in the car.
“Get this,” I smiled at the roof lining. “They didn't bring flashlights because it was a full moon.”
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray,” Dave snickered.
“And, how,” I was trying not to laugh. “The moon was on the south side of the mountain. The route back to
their camp was on the north side in Mt. Whitney’s shadow,” I laughed.” “They were royally screwed.”
“What happened?”
The Inyo mountains rose, across Owen’s Valley, on our right, not as high or as steep as the Sierra Nevada, but
definitely drier – oh yeah.
“They were gone 15 minutes,” I snorted, focusing back in the car. “They couldn't see, gave up after the leader went
down twice. Like I said, they were wearing shorts. I had my first aid kit. In the moon light, I broke it open.”
Dave started to grin.
“I wiped off his leg. The rocks had gouged it pretty good. It took four alcohol swabs to wipe off the blood.”
“I’ll bet he liked that” Dave grinned.
“If it hadn’t been a full moon, I couldn’t have seen what I was doing, my flashlight didn’t work. I think the batteries had died, but it
could have been the bulb. I put gauze over the abrasions and taped it down real good. I should have shaved the hair off his legs first, but,” I shrugged.
“I’ll bet he had fun taking the tape off,” Dave smiled.
They spent the night, huddled like sheep in my tube-tent. I was happy I had a winter sleeping bag.”
“Newbie’s,” Dave stated.
“In the morning, I went over to see if they were happy campers.”
“Were they?”
“That’s not the impression I got. I’m so cold, they kept saying. My water bottle froze solid,” I laughed. “I forgot to put it
inside my sleeping bag.”
