CHAPTER TEN. Nicole stood at the small stream, looking in both directions, then back at the map

Nicole stood at the small stream, looking in both directions, then back at the map. The trail on the map crossed over the stream and continued until it reached Cottonwood Creek. However, across this stream was... a mountain. Nicole leaned her head back, looking up high to the top of the peak, then back down to the little stream.

" Shit, " she whispered. Am I lost?

She let her pack fall to the ground as she turned a circle, wondering where she'd taken a wrong turn. As she looked around, she noticed that she wasn't really on a trail anymore. This, obviously, was not Grizzly Gulch. " Christ." She unzipped a side pocket on her pack and pulled out her compass. Well, she was facing west. At least she thought she was. Turning a complete circle, she watched the compass needle turn with her. Yes, sure enough, she knew which direction was north. Great. And if she only knew where she was on the map, the fact that she knew where north was might help her. She'd been told numerous times that there was an art to using a compass. An art that she'd obviously not mastered.

" So I'm lost."

Saying the words out loud caused a mini panic attack, and she leaned back against the trunk of a Douglas fir and closed her eyes. She couldn't really be that lost. Surely. An hour ago, she would swear she'd been on the right trail. Or so she thought.

" Okay, okay. Talk it out. You're an educated woman. How hard can it be? " She pushed off the tree, pacing next to the bank of the tiny stream. " I'm on the east side of the Continental Divide, so, I would turn south and follow the stream. It's going to hook up with... maybe Grizzly Gulch." She looked at the map again. No, Grizzly Gulch should be... God, like I know. She rolled her eyes. " When in doubt, follow a stream. It's got to go somewhere. Or, you can backtrack." She looked behind her. If only there was a real trail to backtrack to.

She shouldered her pack again and started walking downstream, pleased to see that there was somewhat of a trail there along the bank. Apparently, she wasn't the only one to hit this dead end.

But an hour later, when the sun crept behind the mountain, leaving her in shadows, she felt another wave of panic. The trail was nonexistent and the creek was flowing steadily downward. It was slow going as she maneuvered over the rocks that littered the banks. And now that the sun's rays had left the canyon, she felt the evening chill.

" Couldn't walk upon a hot spring, could I? No. "

Well, it was too early to stop for the day. There was at least another good hour of daylight left. Then she'd find a nice level spot in the forest to pitch her tent. Hopefully, she'd be too exhausted to worry about being lost. And surely to God, tomorrow, this creek would take her somewhere.