The Victorian Wolf Effect (Book III)

CHAPTER TWENTY - Avalanche

"Are we ready?" asked Xianna.

"Ready!" replied Ashley, Kendra, and Gina. Timber barked.

They hitched themselves together and secured their lines to Timber's harness. Gina started to set the pace and they were off. At first, it was an easy climb up the east flank of Mt. Shasta through gentle, slow slopes and tree-shaded hiking trails of the Brewer Creek Trailhead. The scent of the air was sweeter than the coast and Timber was breathing in deeply. They reached a crystal clear creek with water from glaciers. With Timber's go ahead, they topped off their water bottles, drank as much as they needed, and refilled again. Timber lapped it up straight from the creek before Turning and filling her bottle.

As the day wore on, the climb became difficult. By the evening, they had reached the summit and the snow and the climb from then on would be hard. They all pressed on a few hundred feet until the girls could no longer see. They set up camp and had jerky and trail mix for dinner. Timber dug herself a hole and curled up in the snow as the others got cozy in their sleeping bags inside the tent. They all slept peacefully through the quiet night.

They woke up at three-thirty and had breakfast and coffee under the stars. Timber denied the coffee but she was happy to have more jerky and bread. After breakfast, they cleaned up camp, got their equipment ready, and made sure they were secured to each other and to Timber. Then, at five, they began the hardest part of the climb up the summit of the mountain. They had lights attached to their climbing helmets but they still wanted Timber to lead as planned. Timber had claws, a sharp nose, and could see perfectly in minimal light.

They climbed slowly, each pulling their weight to lessen the load of the girl behind and in front. It was a long, steep path and the girls found a steady pace that they could keep without overexerting themselves. An hour into the climb, they had gained just over eight hundred feet. They stopped to rest for fifteen minutes and watch the sunrise. It was a breathtaking sight as the sky and the earth changed colors. The girls huddled in close and savored the moment. Xianna took out her phone and selfie stick and took a photo of the group (Timber Turned long enough for a picture) and she took a photo of the sunrise.

Then the climb continued on. Timber had them divert from the path twenty feet because her paws found loose snow and she was not comfortable walking over it but aside from the small detour, they had no problems. They crossed the Wintun-Hotlum Ridge and again stopped to admire the view and catch their breath before continuing to climb at a forty-five-degree angle.

The climb was anything but relaxing. Timber sank her claws into the glacier ice and pulled hard against the harness. She could hear her friends grunting behind her. At thirteen thousand and two hundred feet, they stopped. The slope was becoming more challenging, at fifty degrees. They had a snack and continued on. It was dangerous and the girls relied on Timber to keep them safe. Timber relied on her claws.

By nine-thirty, they were off the glacier and ready to conquer Misery Hill, which was a steep hill of large, loose volcanic rocks on the west side of the mountain with no snow the rest of the way to the summit. The girls changed their shoes and put their ice picks away. They sat down on rocks and talked about how amazing the view over Northern California was and how any photo they took wouldn't do it justice. They discussed the plan for the final two hundred feet of rock and agreed to adapt to the speed of the slowest climber.

Timber took her human form. They were out of danger from snow and she wanted to experience the final trek in the same way as her friends. So they went on, the pockets of sulfur steaming up through vents reminded them all that this was an active volcano. The girls were tired and huffing in the thin air but they encouraged each other to keep going. To them, this was the ultimate test of their eternal friendship. If they could conquer a literal mountain together, they could conquer all of life's figurative mountains together too.