Chapter 5
The canyon road that led to the spring was winding and rough in places. They bumped along for several miles, enjoying the mountains and the clear creek that danced in the sunshine. Finally, the jeep lurched to a stop and Max said, "This is the end of the road. We'll have to hike from here. It's another half mile or so."
They piled out, the younger ones giggling and squealing. Max had brought a canteen that he said they could fill from the pure water of the spring. "Best water in the world," he claimed. "Ice cold and naturally soft."
As they hiked along, the trail sloped gradually uphill but was easy walking, even for Jeffy, who resisted all offers for help. Max pointed out some wild raspberries that grew along the roadway. They had a wonderful time picking and eating as many as they could find. The little ones got poked from the thorny stems but soon grew more careful. He also showed them where tiny wild strawberries could be found and soon they were searching for those and the tart wild grapes under the bushes and in the clearings. It was slow progress but everyone was enjoying themselves.
They came to a pathway that branched off the trail they were following. Max pointed to a high, sheer rock wall in the direction that the path led. "The Spring is at the base of that wall right up there," he said. "Some of it is a steep and rocky climb, but we can all make it if we stick together and help each other. There's a trail by the edge of the creek bed. Stay off the mossy rocks, though. They are slippery and it’s cold water."
Willy set up her camera and took pictures of the sloping creek bed. Only a small dribble of water was in the creek. “Does the town take all the water?” she asked.
“Oh, no,” he answered. “It’s intermitting now and is in its off cycle. Maybe by the time we get there it will turn on again. It cycles every 20 minutes or so, depending on the season.”
There was a big old wooden pipe half buried in it. Max explained that it was the old water pipe the town of Afton had used for years to bring the city water down from the mountain. They had installed a new pipeline underground that tapped directly into the Spring several years ago, but hadn't bothered to remove the old one.
They labored upward for several minutes. Willy, out of shape from her many hours writing at the computer, was soon panting. "This altitude is a little higher than Kent," she gasped, sinking down onto a big boulder. "I’m used to sea level. Just how high up are we?"
"The elevation of Afton is about 6400 feet," Max told her, "and we've been climbing steadily all the way."
"Mommy's tired," jeered Allison as she and Aggie skipped up the steep trail. Jeffy came to stand by his mother and lend her moral support.
"Shall I hold your hand, Mama?" he asked, concern in his eyes.
Max helped Allison over some of the steepest places then came back to put Jeffy on his shoulders and offer his hand to Willy. She still felt shy around him but his steady helping hand made the going a lot easier. As they came right up against a corner where two sheer walls of towering rock met, they heard a whooshing noise as if air was being sucked into giant lungs. "What's that noise, Mr. Rangerbell?" Jeffy wondered.
"Around here, this is called 'The Spring that Breathes'," explained Max. "It’s taking a big deep breath now so it can blow out the water again. It breathes in for a while and then the water flows for about fifteen or twenty minutes."
"What makes it do that?" wondered Aggie, fascinated.
"Nobody knows for sure, although geologists and scientists have been studying it for years. It is some kind of a siphon effect like when you drink from a soda pop bottle. You have to let air into the bottle before any liquid can come out. It rushes in between swallows," he said.
"Wow! Some pop bottle!" said Aggie, looking at the huge walls surrounding them.
They all climbed onto the big, flat cement slab that had been positioned over the open spring mouth to keep dirt and rocks from falling in. There was a pipe with a U-shaped top where the noise was coming from as air was being sucked into the spring. Max told them to hold their hands over the opening of the pipe. Each one in turn did it and marvelled at the power of the suction. "It's like a huge vacuum cleaner," said Aggie.
Soon the noise died down and was replaced by a gurgling they heard deep in the earth. "Watch, now. The water is rising and will soon start to flow out," said Max. They scrambled out of the stream bed, slipping on the mossy rocks. A little trickle of water started pooling between the rocks and then gradually it turned into a rushing, white water torrent. Willy snapped pictures from many angles while the others watched in wonder. Max leaned over and held his canteen in a small waterfall, filling it with the pure, sweet water. They passed it around and drank deeply. Finally the cascade began to diminish until there was just a trickle again and then it stopped altogether leaving just the wet rocks as evidence that any water had been there.
"Where did the water go?" asked Jeffy, climbing back into the recently filled stream bed and trying to peer into the hole under the cement slab. He lost his footing and splashed into a remaining puddle. He hopped up quickly, his breath lost at the shock of the icy water. Willy helped him to the bank and dried him off with his new scarf. His pants were pretty wet, but would dry soon in the warm air. She moved her tripod and camera to the other side of the spring and took some shots from that angle, then aimed at the rock walls high above them. Something landed on her lens and then she could feel bugs crawling in her hair and on her back. Yelling, she scrambled back across the cement slab, abandoning her camera as she swatted and flailed her arms.
"I should have warned you about the June bugs," Max laughed, shooing them off her and picking some particularly sticky ones out of her hair. "They are thick up here for some reason and drive people crazy, but they don't bite."
After watching the Spring breathe for one more cycle, the kids were ready to go back down the mountain and eat lunch. Aggie climbed agilely down the trail, helping the little ones over the steep, rocky places. Max offered his hand to Willy, commenting that he remembered how accident-prone she was. She blushed at the memory of falling so ungracefully last night and was glad it was dark at the time. At one turn in the trail, the kids were temporarily out of sight. Max pulled her around to face him. "You've got nice kids," he said. "I have enjoyed bringing all of you here today."
"I don't know how to thank you," she said, meeting his eyes in sincerity.
"I can think of a way," he answered, looking deeply into her hazel eyes. "You have the sweetest lips I've ever tasted. I'm going to try another sip if you don't object." His breath was warm and his arms closed around her gently. For all of his size, he was always so gentle. Before she could think what to say or do, he had captured her mouth with his own. Again she went limp against him. It just felt so GOOD to be held again. Inevitably, though, she came to herself and stiffened.
At her first sign of distress, he loosened his grip and slid his hands down her arms, taking her hands again. "I won't apologize this time, Willy," he whispered, his eyes dark and tender. "I've been wanting to do that all day."
Speechless, her mind in a turmoil, she let him guide her down the trail, hand in hand. They could see Aggie and the children playing hide and seek among the willows by the path. Before they reached them, Willy had retrieved her hand and nonchalantly called everyone together. They hiked back along the trail until the jeep came into view. "I'm starving!" Allison cried. "Let's eat!"
The necessity of clearing her mind and taking care of the business of getting lunch brought Willy's emotions under control. Opening the cooler full of food, they found a flat boulder close by and spread a cloth on top for their picnic table. The attention of the children was drawn to a couple of chipmunks darting around the area. Max put small pieces of bread and grapes on a stump a few feet away and they all munched on sandwiches and quietly waited to see what would happen.
Jeffy squealed with delight when the chipmunks finally overcame their fear and stole some crumbs. When the food was all gone both from the cooler and the stump
, the little ones dragged Aggie off to help them collect some snail shells they had spotted earlier. They went happily off, their voices echoing against the canyon walls. Willy called after them to stay close so they could hear her call them when she was through putting away the lunch things.
"We don't need to stay longer," she said to Max. "I'm sure you've got lots of things to do on a Saturday. We won't take up any more of your time."
"Well, personally, I always like a nap after a hike and a good meal," he told her. "There's a cool patch of shade over here I've got my eye on."
He got an old blanket from the back of the jeep and spread it in the shade of a big pine tree. He stretched out and placed his hat over his face, contentedly sighing.
Willy put away all the lunch things and looked longingly at the blanket. She would have enjoyed a nap herself after her exertions of the morning, but there was no way she would go share a blanket with her big new friend. He was entirely too free with kisses. She looked around for some other spot to rest then changed her mind and walked down the road in the direction of the children's voices. She loved the sweet peace of the canyon and the smells of pine and mountain flowers wafting down on the breeze.
Her mind wandered to other summers and other canyons. She and Ryan had been so happy. They had been high school sweethearts and married as soon as Ryan got done with his training and found a job with the power company. Neither one had any desire to go to college much to Willy’s parents’ dismay. Willy had always loved reading books and tried her hand at writing short stories and articles. To her amazement, she actually sold a few and reveled in being paid for doing what she loved. Ryan laughed at her small income but insisted that she not work outside the home when Allison was on the way. That was just fine with her. She loved homemaking and filled her hours with the domestic little tasks necessary to keep their small apartment cozy and clean.
Ryan’s work was demanding and he was gone a lot, but he enjoyed what time he did get to spend with his family. She remembered his delight when each of the kids were born. He had loved them so tenderly and worked extra shifts to be sure they were provided for.
They had shared a love of the out of doors and spent most of their free time in the mountains and rural areas. Washington is such a beautiful state and filled with a huge variety of scenery and destinations. They found that the kids traveled well so they invested in an old camper. It had been comfortable and served them well on their jaunts. Life had been so good. How much she had loved him!
Then she remembered where she was and who she was with. “You are so disloyal!" she berated herself. "I wonder what Ryan is thinking if he's watching your behavior now? You didn't even try to keep that man from kissing you! And he did it TWICE!"