Waterton was beautiful. Maisey couldn't think of a better way to describe it except maybe breathtaking. She stared out over the lake and watched paddlers canoeing and other hikers enjoying the view. Her only regret was that Brett hadn't been able to go with her.
The weather had not cooperated with round up and neither had the cattle. There were twenty unfound animals at noon when he'd called her to let get know. Already packed and eager to be off the ranch she decided to go anyway, he'd been surprised she would but had suggested a few sights to take in and promised to come find her if they got the cattle sorted out before the end of the weekend. She fiddled with a backpack strap and continued to stare out over the park from the well used look out that had been what she found at the top of a trail: she'd sat at the lookout for four hours, just absorbing the beauty.
In the far distance she'd seen rain clouds come and drop their much needed droplets on an unsuspecting community and float away nearly as quickly, while sunshine stood guard over her first experience. She had answered a call from Anna who'd seemed equally surprised she'd gone alone and scolded her for not inviting her along. Since then she'd been taking inventory of the past year or so of her life: so much had changed.
"You're doing some serious thinking," a man's voice interrupted her thoughts: she started and scrambled for her feet. "sorry," he said awkwardly, and held up a camera attached to a tripod, "I'm a photographer for a travel magazine, didn't mean to scare you, I actually wondered if you would let neede photograph you sitting there, it's a pretty perfect shot." he didn't wait for her response, as he set up the camera.
Maisey watched him and settled back into her spot, recrossing her legs and resting her arms loosely over her knees. "Go ahead." she told him. She was sure this was something else that would have surprised Brett. Her friends didn't know she'd continued with therapy or that she'd been slowly gaining ground on controlling her fear and anxiety. She hadn't told them. She was grateful to them all: Anna and Andy for their friendship and medical support and encouragement and mostly Brett: she rarely slept alone still and he snuck the occasional kiss but aside from that one conversation they'd never talked about their relationship. She listened for the soft shutter sounds to finish before she got up.
"Thanks," he told her, "I've got some paperwork for you to fill in, just in case the magazine runs with one of the shots with you in it."
"I can see it now, 'exclusive photos of local author ruminating on next book ideas while enjoying the breathtaking views over Waterton, Alberta'... my publisher will have kittens." she laughed.
The photographer turned toward her, "author?"
She nodded, "The Temper and the Tempest." she told him, "one of 2, the other's a self help book for abused women." She noticed that she hadn't cowered from him or felt any anxiety over his presence.
"I'm not familiar," he admitted.
"I didn't expect you to be, it's only been around a few months."
"And is that what you're doing?" he asked handing her a consent form.
"Nope, but it would make for a good headline, " she grinned and signed the consent form.
He agreed, "So if not ruminating on that, what are you thinking so hard about?"
"Change," she told him, "two years ago I was a prisoner in my husband's home: abused and alone. a lot has changed since then." She handed him back the form, "I need to decide where to go from here and where I want to be in 5, 10 and 20 years from now: that wasn't a choice before. First it was whatever he wanted me to do or be and then it was healing--I'm sure I've a lot more healing to do but this trip has helped me realize that I've drawn a lot of strength from the land and the people I've surrounded myself with." The photographer took a few more shots of the view without her in it. "Six months ago I would never have considered a trip like this."
He was caught up in the work, adjusting settings, moving the tripod, Maisey realized he'd forgotten she was there as he set about capturing angles of light and different views and vantages. She picked up her pack and left him working. She made her way back down the trail. There wasn't much she recognized about the landscape, not like when she was in BC and could identify every plant she saw as she hiked; she snapped some pictures of the plants she was most curious about and made a mental note to find an information center. She passed people coming up the hill, several with dogs and wished she'd brought Henry with her instead of leaving him at home with Tony. She hadn't known what to expect and hadn't wanted him to have to stay in the bed of the truck all weekend, alone on the mountain she'd missed him.
At the campground, Maisey puttered around and set up her gear. She hummed to herself as she worked, starting with the kitchen. She struggled to set up the 10 foot shelter on her own: rotating from one leg to the next until they were the right height and positioned over the table.
She'd packed enough food for two people for 4 days, she wondered if she could extend her stay and made a mental note to ask a park ranger when she saw one. It was a neat table, she decided as she set up the table she'd found in the gear room: it had an area in the middle that was designated for a stove, with counter areas on either side, and a drop out area for a wash bin and a backsplash that had hooks and a small shelf where she could hang dish cloths, pots and pans and store her dish soap. It looked brand new so either Brett took great care of his gear or he'd bought it and never had much chance to use it. She grinned at the pocket stove: it had always amused her how dainty the small machines were and yet how critical they were to single person or back pack camping. She stored the propane lantern she found in the bin and pulled out two battery solar ones instead.
On the far side of the campsite she strung a rope between two trees and hung a tarp cover over the area where she hauled four bins of wood, an ax and a hatchet too. She unhooked the Mora fire knife Brett had bought her from her pants pocket and clipped it to the same line. She added a citronella candle to the table between the two lanterns.
"I'm impressed," a woman's voice intruded on her, "I was going to send my husband over to help you with that pop up but by the time I could find him and we got back you had it up," Maisey shielded her eyes as she found the woman at the entrance to her campsite. "I'm Faye," the woman had short cropped blond hair with pink tips.
"Maisey," she responded, "Thanks for the thought, but I'm pretty self sufficient."
"Good for you," Faye grinned, "Not enough of us are. Kevin dated a woman before me that couldn't even manage to find the bathroom without him, sometimes he doesn't know what to do with himself around me, I can open my own jars and everything!" she laughed at her own statement. "You up here alone?"
"For now," Maisey told her, "My friend is dealing with round up and joining me later," She lied, uncomfortable with the question.
Faye nodded, "Well if you need a hand with anything go ahead and sing out, happy to help," she turned away.
Maisey set up her cot in the backend of her truck after the woman had walked away and then pulled out a camp chair and a novel. She started a fire and started reading.
"Hey pretty lady," the text on her phone read, "how's Waterton?"
She smiled, "Beautiful: I hiked the hill today and checked it out from up above, just settling into my cot," she responded.
"Wish I could have made it in to go with you."
"The Bogs comes first." She texted back, "Always."
"I know," she could hear the sigh in Brett's tone, "Found some of them today, have called in for airborn help, it's too much ground to cover."
"You'll find them." she texted back and yawned, "Night."
"Night, love you." She stared at the words on the screen as she yawned herself awake in the morning--there it was, the words that gave her anxiety, the words she couldn't repeat, the words she never wanted to hear again. "Shit, I'm sorry." had followed, "Please don't freak out Maisey."
It was seven in the morning, she was still not sure how to respond, or if she should respond. A part of her wanted to run and never come back. She dropped the phone back into the cot pocket and rubbing her face she got out of the bed trying to pretend that it never happened.
She loaded food and water into her pack, locked up the truck and headed for Blakiston & Company, hoping to find out if they did same day rentals. They were the first name that popped up on a google search. Strange name, she decided when she popped onto their webpage: it sounded like the kind of name you'd find for a law firm.
"Morning," a young man called out as she entered the shop, "pick ups are around the back of the building."
"I'm actually here to see if you've got any rentals left for the day," she told him, "I got in last night and I'm a beginner with all of this stuff."
"Have you paddled before?" his hair was sandy blond, his eyes blue and his name tag read Troy.
"It's been a while but yes," she told him.
"You've got two options then," Troy waved her over to a counter display where their schedules and prices were shown, "There's a group going out for refresher lesson in about twenty minutes, or you can go it alone and we can head around back to get you a paddle and a kayak."
She shook her head, "I'm actually looking for a canoe," she told him, "Kayak's make me uncomfortable."
"They're easier for one person to paddle," he warned and she shrugged, "I wouldn't mind showing you some of the sights," he offered, "I just need your details and your phone number." Maisey realized he was flirting as he grinned at her, she smiled and took the paperwork he was offering. "I am a local guide," he said, "You're new around here."
"Just staying a few days," she told him, "I would rather explore alone."
He pushed a paddling map at her, "You want to avoid these areas," he pointed to two spots, "There's lots of deadheads there, and over here is the smoothest ride, but if you're on foot, this is the launch directly across from us, if you head around to the east side you'll avoid most of the crowds, the guides tend to head west."
"Thanks," Maisey said and collected the map.