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Chapter Ten - Hiking Up
Friday morning arrived. We met at the train station at 8:45 AM. Haruhi told us to meet at 9 AM sharp, but the members of the SOS Brigade, like well-trained soldiers, all got there fifteen minutes early. Lake Tapena lay outside of Kanoko City, a two-hour trip from here, most of it via bullet train. Showing up late and missing our connection would have resulted in the death penalty.
I marveled at Haruhi's organizational skills. Her lists were thorough and she packed us in line with our strengths. We all carried standard hiking backpacks, ones with lots of storage for supplies. Straps at the bottom of these packs held the girls' mats and sleeping bags. The guys' carried their sleep rolls up top and used the bottom straps to carry the dome tents.
Haruhi checked our gear before we boarded the train. The weatherman promised us a warm sunny long weekend, but we were hiking in the mountains. Though we all came dressed in t-shirts and shorts — except for Mikuru who wore a sexy, body-hugging white sundress — Haruhi made sure we all packed long pants and sweatshirts as well.
My eyes were drawn to Mikuru like a bug to a zapper. Her green backpack contrasted nicely with the red hair that flowed over it, while the sturdy black hiking boots shoeing her feet sexily augmented her skimpy white dress. After spending so many hours viewing the girl completely naked, it felt odd to see her like this. Even clothed, her outfit destroyed the typical hiker stereotype. I felt my insides warming.
"Stop staring." Haruhi punched me in the arm. Mikuru giggled.
I shook my head clear and shifted my attention out the window to watch others board.
Our train left the station at 9:04 AM on the nose. A few minutes later, we transferred to a bullet train at the central city station. A quick jaunt on a stop-train ninety minutes after that finished the rail portion of our trip. We stepped off at Kanoko City, a small tourist town at the base of the mountain.
The fresh air struck me like a baseball bat; it smelled crisp and clean. Instead of steel and concrete, greenery surrounded us. Instead of high rises fencing in congested city streets, the quaint wooden structures here had ample room to breathe. We walked past a grocery store, a hardware store, a post office, a ranger station, a laundromat, and a hotel. Several other groups of campers also walked this main street. Some turned in to these buildings.
"Last chance to get supplies," Haruhi said.
We all shrugged. "We're fine."
"Then let's roll."
We followed a group of twenty campers to a dirt road. Haruhi turned right. The larger group turned left.
After we'd traveled a ways, I looked over my shoulder. Nobody followed us. Everyone else headed in the other direction.
I turned to Haruhi. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"
Map in hand, she pointed. "The back mountain trail starts at the end of this road." We followed the roadway as it wound, rose, and dipped deep into the forest.
It took us about twenty minutes to reach the trailhead, marked by a wooden sign. The top read 'Lake Tapena.' One arrow pointing left and labeled 'Main Back Mountain Campground - 8km,' advertised a wide, well-worn path. Another arrow, pointing to a narrower, less-worn path on the right, read, 'Auxiliary Camping - 10km'. Below that, in red letters, 'Beware of Bears.'
Naturally, Haruhi took us to the right.
"Are you sure about this campsite," I asked nervously as the slope increased.
"One hundred and ten percent," Haruhi replied. "The person I talked to said that nobody has had any interaction with a bear for two years."
"What happened during that interaction," I asked, putting air quotes around the last word.
"Some camper got mauled. But he survived… minus one arm and part of his face. The guide told me that this guy was an idiot for going into the Momma bear's cave and he was lucky to come out alive. If we avoid caves, we'll be fine."
I looked down at the narrow nearly non-existent trail. "Are we the only ones taking this route this weekend?"
"Actually," Haruhi said, "an Osaka Boy Scout troupe is camping a couple of kilometers north of us."
"Far from the cave?"
"Not that far."
"Fear not, Kyon," Koizumi said. "Miss Suzumiya put bear spray on my list." He patted his jacket pocket. "Let me know if you see one."
Haruhi calculated that we had a six-hour hike ahead of us. The first couple of hours didn't tax me at all. The weather was great and the view inspiring. At times we hiked under a canopy of trees. Then the trail would clear and we'd have a great view of the valley below us. Once or twice we took well-maintained, though rickety, stream crossing. We made the acquaintance of a couple deer.
Eventually, we came to a grass patch. "Fifteen-minute water break," our commander barked. We pulled the packs off our back and sat in the midst of nature. The feeling of peace far surpassed even what I'd felt in the city. We removed the water bottles from our packs and hydrated. One of the benefits of camping near a lake was that you didn't need to carry a lot of water. Haruhi had us all buy personal filters — special straws that cleaned the water we'd be drinking.
Mikuru stretched her arms and smiled. "It's so beautiful out here."
"Yes, it is," Koizumi agreed. "Thank you for organizing this, Miss Suzumiya. This is a welcome change of pace."
"The city can wear you down if you're not careful," Haruhi said. "It's important to reconnect with nature once in a while."
Though Yuki didn't speak, I got the impression she felt the calm as well.
Mikuru shifted from a cross-legged position to her knees. "While we're on the subject of getting closer to nature, there's something I need to do." She reached down to the hem of her skirt and lifted the white sundress overhead off of her body. She wore nothing underneath. After neatly rolling up the garment, she pushed it into a backpack compartment and ran her hands over the freshly exposed skin. "That feels much better."
My mouth dropped open. "Aren't you going to get cold?"
"I'll be fine. Remember, I'm built for this." She squeezed her breasts together and let them fall.
A memory of her laying on the cold tile floor on the SOS Brigade clubroom as if it were a tanning bed flashed into mind. "I suppose you are."
Haruhi grabbed my chin and turned my head away. "Keep it in your pants, Kyon. We've still got a long hike ahead of us."
Having spent so much time with Mikuru naked, the shock of her stripping quickly wore off. Soon, it felt like old times again.
We resumed our trek. As we hiked, I tried to decide which version of our mascot made the better hiker. Sundress or no dress?
After following her up a steep grade, I decided the girl looked 36% better naked, though technically, she still wore her backpack and the hiking shoes Koizumi had bought for her. I decided to do another comparison later. I had to hand it to Haruhi once again. Thank you for making us wear hiking boots. The terrain would have torn regular sneakers apart. Mikuru's feet would have been crying.
Watching her attack a steep rocky hill gave me a better appreciation of Mikuru's superb physical condition. Her legs and arms looked buff, her bottom solid, her waist flat. A thin layer of perspiration that clung to her skin glistened in the sunlight that filtered through the trees. With our leader Haruhi a good distance ahead, I pulled up next to the nude redhead.
"Hey, Mikuru, have you been working out?"
"I work out every day," she said with a bright smile. "You know me. I always try to look my best."
"I've never noticed just how in-shape you are. It's not as apparent when you serve us tea under fluorescent lights."
"A girl that can't cover herself has to work with what she can."
"Did Haruhi force you to hike naked?"
Mikuru frowned. "Of course, not. Stop thinking that."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything." I glanced down her side, smooth bare skin from shoulder to calf. "I know we're not in the club room right now, but can I still touch you whenever I want?"
She nodded with a sweet smile. "On this camping trip, all the same rules apply."
"Thanks." I ran my hand over her firm bottom. "Damn, that's solid."
She giggled. "You can molest me all you want at the campsite. But for now, let's not get yelled at." Her full breasts bounced invitingly as she jogged forward and took the lead ahead of me on the narrowing trail.
The rest of the hike went well. We made it to the top in record time. Though the temperature cooled a few degrees as we gained altitude, Mikuru took it in stride.
The campground took our breath away. The lake shone like a mirror, reflecting a clear blue sky. A lush green tree canopy surrounded us. Looking forward, a short trail led from the camp to a sandy beach. Behind us rose hills — dotted with the caves that kept so many people away.
Haruhi stepped next to me. "Pretty worth it, wouldn't you say?"
"The view is spectacular," Koizumi said.
Mikuru gleefully spun about with arms extended. "It's amazing."
Even Yuki looked around with wonder.
"It gets dark fast up here, so let's focus on setting up camp," Haruhi said. "Then we can start the fire."
Mikuru cordoned off a make-shift kitchen area and scoured the surroundings for firewood. Koizumi and Yuki assembled the girls' dome tent while Haruhi and I set up the guys' tent.
Though the site hadn't seen too many visitors recently, it had seen some over the years. The tent spots and the fire area were well demarcated. Previous visitors armed with saws, hammers, and nails had created a picnic-style table and several seats, a couple with backrests.
By the time we'd finished setting up the tents, Mikuru had a nice blaze going in the fire pit over which a metal grill supported a teapot.
I walked the hundred yards down to the lake. An occasional wave jostled the otherwise still water. Technically, we were at the head of Lake Tapena's 'penis.' A few kilometers across the bay, smoke rose from fires burning at other campsites. I reached down and stirred the water. It was surprisingly warm.
Haruhi lightly punched my arm. "Can I pick them or what?"
"This place is great," I said. "As long as the bears stay away."
"Don't be so negative."
Koizumi walked up to us, teacup in hand. "I am pleased to report that camp is set up and tea is served. Our club camping outing may officially commence."
"There's one thing we still need to do." Haruhi pulled a familiar glass bottle out of her pocket and rolled three tiny red pills into the palm of her hand.
Koizumi chuckled. "Is it time for the ladies to invert?"
"You bet it is."
"And then what?" I asked.
A sly smile formed on Haruhi's face. "Whatever happens in Lake Tapena, stays in Lake Tapena."