Hikers Beware (closed to Gabe619)

[havenly2010]

The first photo on her camera was a sign that read Mt. Katahdin 2108.5 Miles. Pulling her pack up on her shoulders with her camera around her neck, the 5'3" brunette from Roswell, Georgia had taken her first steps on a journey that most of her family considered insane. Cecilia had assured them all that she was going to be fine. Growing up she had always enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and camping with family and friends. She'd done many 3-4 day hikes in her lifetime, but this was a whole different beast. Hiking the Appalachian Trail was a feet not many people had done. You had to train for months, and even then some didn't make it. Over 2000 miles spanning from the North Georgia mountains to the tip of Maine, it was one of the longest stretches of mountains in North America. Hiking the whole thing took between 3 to 5 months.

CC, as everyone but her mother called her, had just graduated from college. She had gone to small private college where she majored in business and photography. Her passion had always been taking pictures. She knew that if she wanted to make it, she was going to have to do more than take pictures. She was going to have to write about it, there needed to be a story to go along with her pictures. After a whole bottle of wine she made the decision. She was going to through hike the Appalachian Trail. It would be just her, her camera, and the wild. It didn't help that while she consumed the bottle of wine she watched the movie Wild, with Reese Witherspoon staring. Reese was CC's idol, and the bottle of wine just helped her even more.

After a trek to REI, she had everything she needed. She had done her research, mailed her boxes to the different posts along the way, and had packed her bags. CC was an amateur hiker, but she wasn't a beginner. She had been doing well all along the way, meeting many different interesting people. She met an old couple who had been hiking just for the weekend, and she thought they were the cutest thing. She wished them well and hoped one day that could be her.

CC was adventurous. She'd have to be if she decided she was going to do this, but she wasn't really scared of anything. She'd bungie jumped off bridges, white water rafted, streaked down the hallway in college, there was nothing that CC wasn't game for. She may have been tiny, but she was strong. She kept telling herself that this was going to be cake. However, it had its challenges along the way.

For one, just like in that movie, she got horrible blisters on her body from her pack rubbing her raw. She'd come prepared and had some cortisone creme, so it was a big deal, but you could definitely see them when she took a shower. She wondered if they would go away. Her frame was pretty small and she was often called "cute" by day hikers and park rangers. CC tried to hide her annoyance of this term. She felt she was more than cute. She was tough, and she could do this.

She'd left the last outpost four days back. The park ranger had been really good looking, but CC didn't act on her thoughts. Normally she wouldn't have any problem with it, but something made her think it wasn't a good idea. Just didn't feel right and she didn't want a reputation. Another through hiker told her the rangers talked. She enjoyed sex just fine, what 22 year old didn't, but this was a long walk. She wanted to show people she could do this. She wanted to show herself she could do this.

The part of the trail she was walking on was rather easy. It had a decent incline, nothing she couldn't handle, but she was going a lot slower than she had been going beforehand. On average she was going about 14 miles a day. Right now, it would take her six more days to get to the next outfitters in Mt. Rogers. Right now she was only making it about 8 miles a day. She would run out of food before she got to the next outpost.

With that thought in her head, she mustered up some strength, wiping her forehead, and pushed on. As she stepped onto a rock to climb up the next step she heard the hissing of snakes. Ugh! Snakes! She hated snakes! Yelping, CC tried to step back but she didn't have good footing and she faltered. Losing her footing she fell back on her pack.

CRACK! Something in her pack made a huge breaking noise. "Oh shit!" CC rolled over and started to pull things out of her bag, thoughts of the snake no longer there. As she started pulling out her lighter fluid, food rations, and other items show found the source of the sound. Her water purifier pump was cracked right down the middle.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" She kicked the pump down the trail. Pulling her water bottle out and map, she looked at how much she had left. She had enough for two more days if she rationed it out. CC drank a lot of water compared to normal hikers and it had been one thing many people had told her to slow down on. She scrambled to look through when the next water station was, "Damnit! 45 miles!" That was at least four days. She'd run out of water before then. Looking at her watch, she decided to hike on before she made camp. There was a place, if she really pushed herself, that she could camp at tonight. She made it there, and that night she stayed at an enclosed camping shelter. She made a hardy meal and slept.

The next day, she ran out of water. By the third day, she wasn't sure what to do. Sitting on a rock, mouth dry as can be, she chewed on a piece of dried meat, trying to get her mouth to salivate with the taste. She was caked in sweat. The clouds showed promise of rain, and she left her bottles out and open praying to catch some rain if it did. She was beat. Deciding she'd just better make camp, she went to set up her tent, jerky still hanging out of her mouth.

 

[Gabe619]

Taylor Hawkins was 34, single, a self made business man even at his relatively young age and bored. He was bored stiff. Both of his work and his social life. He had it all most people would think. He had money, he had girls, he had cars and lived in a gorgeous pent house suite in one of the wealthiest parts of town, but what he didn't have was happiness. He smiled and shook his head as he recalled that old saying money can't buy you happiness and it was so right. So one day he had just decided to leave it behind for a while. He didn't know what he had wanted to do but he knew he had to get away from it all or he would go mad. In the end he had decided to go hiking. What other activity could honestly be said to get you away from society? He was fit already, regularly working out at his local gym and jogging most days so the effort involved, the physical strain didn't scare him and he could take as long as he wanted. So furnishing himself with all the latest gear and provisions he would need he had hit the Appalachian trail a week ago and hadn't looked back since.

At 6'1, broad shouldered, rugged features, short unruly brown hair and piercing grey eyes, Taylor struck an imposing figure as he walked along in khaki shorts and a white button up shirt, his black rucksack secure over his shoulders. The people he saw had no idea who he was back in the real world and that alone had come as a breath of fresh air. He didn't have to wear masks out here, he could be himself and just breath. He had met some really friendly folk, helped a couple out with gear mishaps and had struck up a friendship with a ranger at one station who was worried about his taxes until Taylor had offered to look them over. A day later the ranger was grinning like he had won the Superbowl and couldn't do enough for Taylor. But oddly it had made Hawkins feel better than it had the man he had helped. Not by nature a giving person, you didn't do well in his line of work by being beneficent, this side of him had started to emerge the longer he stayed out here in the wild. This day he hummed a tune he couldn't for the life of him remember what of as he walked along the trail and rounded a corner to see a younger woman making camp not far from the trail.

He paused and looked around, she seemed along and was chewing some jerky as she worked to make camp. His eyes fell on something glinting in the dying rays of the sun as the clouds came in and as he approached he recognised it as a water purifier. Still a ways from the lady he called out.

"Hello the camp."

He had read that was what you did so as not to scare people ... he felt a little stupid shouting it, but he didn't want to worry the young lady who had her back to him right now. He couldn't tell her age, but from this angle at least he could admire her body. He had always been a ladies man but had never found one to settle down with. To be honest attachments had scared him, they had always felt to ... permanent. But that didn't stop him sleeping with ever gorgeous woman who came his way, regardless of age. He waved and walked slowly toward the girl.

 

[havenly2010]

The Save

CC yelped, dropping her jerky. Hand on her chest she turned around to see a man walking up to her. To him she probably looked rough. She was covered in dirt and sweat, her brown hair with blonde highlights was in a messy ponytail. Wiping her face with her long sleeve Columbia shirt she stood up.

"Hi, I see you have my water purifier." She had a habit of talking with her hands. "You can throw it into the abyss. It doesn't work." She walked up to meet him. He was very tall, but to CC, everyone was tall. She gave him a big smile and put her hand out.

"I'm CC. Are you a through hiker?" She leaned around him to look at his pack. It looked pretty well packed, and that seemed to answer her own question. Her mouth felt like sand paper. Her bottom lip had cracked that morning. She reached into her short pocket and pulled out some chapstick to apply. She was going to try to keep this thing for bleeding if she could help it. "You wouldn't happen to have any water on you to spare?"

She scowled at the water purifier, "With that cracked, I'm out, and the next outpost isn't for another 2 days. I, uh, tripped two days ago and it broke." She looked away, a hikers mistake. She should have been more careful. She heard thunder in the distance.

 

[Gabe619]

Taylor smiled down at the dirty young lady and shook her hand as he glanced down at the broken purifier and nodded.

"Yeah, I kinda noticed the big crack in it." He winked and threw it away as requested. "Nice to meet you CC, I'm Taylor and as for being a through hiker ..." He glanced around at the gorgeous scenery and shrugged. "Thats to be seen. I'm not on the clock out here, no particular plan, just getting away from it all, you know?"

They walked back to her camp as he swung his pack from his shoulders and reached into a side pocket pulling out a water bottle which he handed to her.

"Here you go, no charge."

In the distance the thunder rumbled over the mountain tops and Taylor looked up seeing the clouds growing darker on the horizon and the wind getting cooler on his skin.

"If that storm breaks you might get all the water you want though. I see you have your bottles out and ready. But ... look, if you want I can walk with you to the next outpost, if you want some company that is? We can share my supplies?"

Although he had been enjoying the solitude, suddenly for some reason he realised he wouldn't mind being around this girl for a while longer. He had no idea who she was, but maybe a little company might be nice for a while.

 

[havenly2010]

CC eyed the water bottle. Not wanting to look like a ravenous wolf, she took two big swigs, stopping herself even though she wanted more, before she handed it back to him. Wiping her mouth, she croaked, "Thanks." Looking up, she saw that it was getting darker, she was going to need to put the tent up pronto or she was going to get soaked. She watched as the man walked over the camp site she had made and set his pack down.

She had hiked with others before long the way, but something told her there was more to this guy than led the eye. She picked up her piece jerky that was on her tent and put it back in her mouth. She wasn't going to waste good food! Looking at her watch, 17:18, she had wasted a good few hours that she could have got a mile or two in before she should have stopped. But, if she hadn't, she wouldn't have gotten the best relief from that man's water bottle.

Hearing his proposal she nodded. "Sure. That would be nice. I haven't hiked with anyone in over a week. Mostly people who are hiking in the weekend. How much you covering per day?" The thunder rumbled again.

"I need to get my tent up quick. You might want to get yours up too. I can smell the rain." She hurriedly put her tent up, making sure the rainflap was safely secured. She unrolled her matt and threw her sleeping bag out over it. CC loved to set up her little home away from home before she started working on anything else.

She set out her camera and the cleaning clothes. She hadn't taken pictures since the purifier broke or cleaned it. It needed a good clean. Looking down at herself, she needed a good clean. Maybe she'd take a shower in the rain.

 

[Gabe619]

"Keep it." Taylor said of the water bottle she was handing back. "I've got some more in the pack. I was told to bring plenty of water." He smiled and put his pack down as he looked around the camp area. As she spoke though he looked up. "Depends on my mood, as I say I'm in no hurry and money isn't an issue so I stock up well at the outposts I come to. I can do around 14-16 miles a day when my hearts in it."

He nodded as she mentioned getting his tent up, the thunder was closing in and definitely heading in this direction. Quickly and efficiently he slipped his tent from his pack and got it set up next to hers, the only clear ground around here. The camp fire would be in front of both tents that way he figured and both could use its warmth. His sleeping back was unrolled inside his tent which he noticed was a little bigger than CC's, but then when he had decided to do this he had bought the absolute best equipment they had. He noticed the camera and cleaning cloths as he finally sat down on a fallen tree and watched the girl.

"You're a photographer? Is that why you're out here?" He asked stretching out his legs before him.

 

[havenly2010]

She pulled out her tiny chair that she had her matt rolled in. Setting it up was easy. As she grabbed her camera and the clothes she sat down in the chair. She looked at Taylor and smiled. "Yeah, I didn't see that many documents of young people hiking the AT so I thought I would do so. I'm hoping maybe my pictures can get picked up. I'm hopeful."

She looked back at her pack and chuckled, "About half the weight in that pack is my camera equipment. I had a ranger two outposts ago tell me that it was too much weight, but I need the extra batteries and SD cards. I'm only a fifth of the way through this thing and I've filled up two 64 gig cards." She laughed at herself. If she didn't watch herself she'd talk his ear off about her passion. That happened a lot with CC.

She took her time cleaning the camera. As she got up to put it in her tent, she felt a raindrop. Then another. And another. She started to laugh. She quickly took her boots off and grabbed her soap. "Best kind of shower someone can take," she yelled out. She undid the tie on her hair and threw her long sleeve shirt into her tent.

She probably looked ridiculous to him, but she didn't care. She stood on a log in a white tank top and her grey hiking shorts. She wasn't wearing a bra and she knew Taylor would be able to tell. The rain was causing a temperature change, and the girls were telling everyone. Bras were weight that she didn't need, and she had almost B size breasts that really didn't need a bra. One of the things she would NEVER tell anyone is that she missed being clean and smelling good.

 

[Gabe619]

He sat and watched her talk seeing her passion for photography and smiling. His passion was movies, he loved movies to the point he had his own small theatre in his place back home. He had a brain full of what others would call useless knowledge on movies from all eras, but to him it was an escape from everyday life. For CC it was photography.

"Well, I would love to see some of those photos you've already taken if you don't mind showing them off?" He stated seriously, he really was curious. "And as most of your pack is filled with camera equipment it's just as well most of mine is filled with water and food, huh? I guess we compliment each other." He smiled up at her as she stood as the rain slowly began to fall.

While he pulled back inside his tent to stay out of the rain he watched with a grin as she instead pulled off her long sleeved shirt and stepped up onto a log barefoot as the rain began to come down hard. His eyes couldn't help noticing her hard nipples poking through the now almost see through white tank top she had on. The shirt clung to her boobs and as it was almost invisible now he could admire the firm pert B cups with out any issue and his smile widened as CC stood there with a big grin not at all shy about showing off. His cock hardened even more now as the grey shorts, already sweaty and clingy, now clung tighter on her legs and ass as the rain drenched them. Suddenly, with a shrug and a laugh, Taylor pulled his own shirt off followed by his boots. He had last had a shower a couple of days back and had made do with cold washes in streams since then. Barefoot and just in his shorts he stepped out under the rain which was not cold as such, but not exactly warm either. He grinned at CC.

"Can I borrow your soap when you're done?"

 

[havenly2010]

CC watched him as she watched her. Her eyes twinkled with peaked interest as he pealed off his shirt. She knew the shirt didn't really leave anything to imagination since it was practically see through. She nodded when asked if he could use her soap. She was soaked to the bone and had already washed all the visible dirt of her. Handing him the soap she hopped down of the log, ringing her hair out and stepping into her tent. She grinned at him as she zipped up her tent and started to strip out of her sopping wet clothes.

She knew he could see her silhouette but couldn't actually see anything. Taking out her dry towel she dabbed herself down, and making sure to take a most toilet to clean the parts she couldn't in his presence. Pulling on another tank top and her sweat pants, she opened the tent zipper. "Pretty good huh? Since I can have this water, I can make some tea. Would you like some?"

The rain wasn't letting up, and she didn't like making a fire in her tent, so she lit it right outside her tent under the canopy of her tent. After the water bowled she put a scoop of sugar in hers and sat on her bed, holding the cup. The temperature had dropped tremendously and cup was giving off lots of heat. She put her long sleeve shirt back on over to tank top. "I think I'm going to get a good sleep tonight. Rainy nights always are my best sleep nights."

 

[Gabe619]

As he took the soap from her his eyes lingered on her breasts again, one because, well, why not, and two because they were so obvious. he smiled as she wrung her hair out and stepped into the tent and zipped up. He soaped himself down, the rain almost immediately washing the suds from him, but at least he smelt a hell of a lot better. But he found himself not immediately heading back into the dry his own tent offered, instead he stood outside CC's tent, watching her silhouette with a grin, admiring the curves that it showed and he would swear when she took her wet tank top off he could make out her nipples even in silhouette they were so hard. With a shake of his head and a chuckle he slipped his soaking wet shorts and boxers off outside, not caring if he would be seen because ... well, who would see him naked out here in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain? Ringing them out he threw them into the tent and then stepped inside to towel himself down. He too zipped up his tent flap, not for decencies sake, he honestly didn't care if CC looked or saw him naked, but mostly because he didn't want to embarrass her.

"I'd love some tea, thank you. Will help chase the chill away." He called out to her as he quickly dressed in jogging shorts and a tshirt and unzipped his tent flap to see her boiling water.

He took the offered cup and sipped the hot liquid, it was sweet and warm and perfect on this stormy evening. As she said she would be going to sleep he nodded.

"Well, sleep tight. See you in the morning."

With that he finished his tea, threw the last small ebbs of it outside the tent and zipped himself up back inside his home away from home. His heater had the place at a reasonable temp now despite the rain and wind outside trying it's best to change that. He lay back on his sleeping back, one arm under his head, one small lamp on and closed his eyes. Instantly the image of CC wet through standing outside with a smile came to mind and he chuckled again. These next few days were going to be very interesting.

***

The next morning dawned sunny and clear and the temp had risen again. It was a beautiful morning, crisp, sunny and even the muddy ground around them was drying as it steamed slightly. Taylor woke early and stretched and smiled as he sat up and opened his tent flap. He stepped outside bare foot and looked around and savoured the early sun on his face and drew in a deep breath. Still in tight jogging shorts and tshirt he began to limber up a little to shake off the ache and lethargy of sleep. He glanced at CC's tent but it was dark. He didn't know if she was still asleep or had risen earlier than him and walked off somewhere to maybe take care of a girls morning toilet. Thinking that made his crotch remind him he had a night's worth of pee to get rid of and walking into some low bushes he unzipped his shorts and pulled his cock free. Sighing blissfully as he let a long stream of steaming pee flow into the undergrowth.

 

[havenly2010]

The night was quiet, she heard a coyote at some point but it had been peaceful nonetheless. She had spent some time writing about what had happened for the day, she did this every night to make sure she documented every piece of her adventure. She looked back through her camera to look at some of the things that she had taken a few days ago and sighed. She was glad she didn't have to worry about water anymore. The rain had filled both of her water bottles and she knew there was more food in the bottom of her pack she had forgotten about.

CC always woke up extremely early. Looking at her map she knew that the sun was going to rise on a waterfall not far from the path. You always get told to not stray far from the path, but CC knew there was a mini path to the waterfall right up the road. She loved getting pictures of waterfalls, and she knew shots of waterfalls sold. She got up and changed into her clothes. It had been a bit cold so she went with her hiker pants, a t-shirt with her sorority letters on it, and pulled on her boots. She didn't hear Taylor in the next tent so she tried to be extra quiet.

As she zipped up her tent, camera strap across her body like a shoulder bag, she walked off. It was still pretty quiet so she had a headlamp to help her. She found the path pretty quickly and it was a five minute walk to the waterfall. Wow, CC thought, this is beautiful!

The waterfall was a multilayered waterfall that had a basin of water at the bottom. The sun was coming up over the trees and the lighting was just perfect. This was why she came here. She took lots of pictures and after hearing her stomach grumble, she headed back to camp.

As she made it back up to camp she could see Taylor was up. He was standing off to the side and CC hung back, curious about what he was doing. After a minute she saw exactly what he was doing as he whipped out his cock and she turned jumped behind a tree, wanting to give him privacy, but giggling to herself. She counted to ten, trying to not have a grin on her face she walked back into camp. "Sleep well?" She wasn't successful, the grin was all over her face.

 

[Gabe619]

Hearing CC's voice, Taylor glanced over at her and smiled, making no effort to hide his cock or what he was doing. He was proud of his body, all of it, and CC didn't exactly seem the shy type after the impromptu shower last night. Finally finishing pee'ing he shook off a little and slipped his cock, now harder than it had been under the girls gaze, into his shorts and turned to walk over to her.

"I slept very well, thank you? I take you were out early to snap a few sunrise shots?" He enquired noticing the camera over her shoulder. "If you ever want me to model for you ... or if you want to model for me, just let me know, ok." He smirked and winked. "Maybe one of those at one with nature naked under a waterfall type shots you see in National Geographic?" He joked, but only partially.

Imagining CC naked was making it hard for him to will his semi erection away so he decided to stop trying. He leaned into his tent and rummaged through his pack and stood back up. He held dry rations in one hand, dried fruit, etc and in the other a MRE. He had stocked up on those at the supply store before leaving.

"Can I buy you breakfast?" He asked sitting down cross legged on the ground by her now dead fire. "I figure maybe as we will be together a few days we could get to know each other a little better, if you want? You know, ask all those embarrassing personal questions you only feel confidant letting a stranger know?"

Again he gave her his best smile, one that had served him so well in the past picking up women.

 

[havenly2010]

CC laughed at his question. "Yes you may!" She was pretty sure he had waited a second longer to make sure she saw his cock. It definitely peaked her interest. She had been deprived in quite some time and why the hell not. He was handsome and his green eyes showed deviance in them.

She pulled her camera strap over here head and set it down on her chair. She was glad she remembered to bring it in before she went to sleep. She'd hate to be carrying around wet material. It always made a hiking day miserable. Seeing the fire out, she went to go grab some logs. It was going to be difficult with it having rained and she was unsuccessful.

"We'll have to cook on the burner stove. You can use mine if you don't have one. Rain soaked everything last night. Need a sous chef?" She gave him a big smile. Sitting down next to him she left out a huff of air. She was excited for the shots she got this morning and leaned back to grab her camera. As she leaned back her shirt moved up her stomach exposing the pack burns she had gotten on her hips from the first few weeks of hiking. They didn't hurt anymore but the flesh was still new there and she tended to scar easily.

"Look at these." She sat back up, camera in hand, and flipped through the viewer. The lighting was perfect as the sun rose up over the tree line of the falls. The colors were perfect, a spectrum of pinks, purples, and blues. It was part of why she loved it here. The colors the sky produced on sunrises and sunsets were nothing like she'd seen before. It could make anyone happy.

Thinking about Taylor's offer to be her model sparked her interest. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He had a look that she'd love to capture. Maybe a shoot or two today, if she found the right spot, wouldn't be a bad idea. The corner of her mouth tilted into a cockeyed smile.

 

[Gabe619]

"Well, the MRE will get itself hot and the dried fruit ... eat it cold?" Taylor asked not really wanting to worry about setting up the burner stove. "I've got a few choices of MRE if you don't like ..." He glanced at the bag in his hand. "Meatloaf and gravy?" He shrugged. "Maybe a little heavy for breakfast, hm?"

As CC sat next to him he moved closer so the legs were pressed together and he leaned in, one arm going around her waist to steady them both. He smiled at her as he did that to see her reaction, but then turned to the photos she was showing on the camera. They were incredibly good and he found himself mesmerised by them. The colour, the shade and just the angles she had picked, she truly was a natural at this.

"These are beautiful and so well taken ... have you ever tried sending in any of your photo's to magazines, stuff like that?" He asked seriously. "If not I could make a few introductions for you, I know a couple of editors who would be very interested I think."

As they sat there, Taylor couldn't help but see the pack burns on CC's hips and he moved slightly to get a better look.

"Ouch ... they look painful. Do you want me to rub some cream into them for you?" They weren't exactly in places CC couldn't apply cream herself, but Taylor figured if he didn't make some moves he might never get what he wanted ... which he now knew without a doubt was CC.