Sassafras Mountain
South Carolina
May 2013
We’re back at the car after our summit hike. I’m looking through my paperwork, notes about how to get where we are going next. Two women approach us, just as polite as can be. “Excuse me, but I wonder if we might be able to hitch a ride with you. We misestimated and now we won’t have enough time to hike back to our car. Could we ride down the mountain with you?”
“Sure, you bet.” Hikers are the friendliest, safest people around. Of course we’ll take them down.
I notice them talking to another couple as I clear out the back seat, putting our equipment into the trunk. I say, “We’re ready.”
They say, “Oh, thank you anyway but we’re going to go with these people. They are taking us closer to where we want to go.”
Flashback. I’m back in high school and my date just found someone better looking than me. Gotta work that one out.
