A hike to remember

 "I am so glad it's Friday!" Candy said as she inspected the chickens going down the factory line. Shackles full of what will be the countrys Memorial Day feast that coming Monday. Of course, that means a three day weekend for most of the country also! And for the factory workers.

 "Yea, I guess I'm glad too, glad to atleast be outta this place for a few days," Jack stated, "I just get kinda bored here. Ever since I moved here the holidays just aren't fun anymore, all my family are back in Florida and this small town has absolutely nothing to do." Back home in Miami, when Jack wasn't laying on the beach reading or sketching, he was at the go kart tracks with his buddies or in the garage with his guitar, a pack of Camels and and six pack of light beer. These days however, stuck in the factory from noon until sometimes as late as 1 or 2am, there was never any time for anything fun.

 "Well, ya wanna hang out with me? I'm driving to Colorado Springs to go hiking at the Garden of the Gods!" Candy exclaimed.

 "Really? I'd love to. I've never been there before. I've never even been hiking before in my life." "When do you wanna leave out?"

 "I suppose I can be out the door tomorrow by 10am, so just be ready by eleven and I'll stop by Beck's for coffee before I pick you up." Candy planned out the morning in her head real quick.

 As the last shackle swung by, Jack and Candy stepped off the platform and disposed of their gloves and aprons and proceeded to the locker room. Excited about the long weekend ahead and the adventures they would soon embark, they left the factory together and chatted in the parking lot a few more minuets before going their seperate ways for the evening. There was packing to do!

 Once home, Jack hoped in the shower and was thinking of the hiking trip, excited and a little scared, he began to feel a little anxious as well. Considering he had never been on a hike, and knew absolutley nothing about the sport, he called Candy in a panic! 

 "What am I supposed to pack? I'm sure i'll need something more than a beach towel, a bong, and a copy of People, all I know is beach life Candy!"

 "Yeah, Yeah,that may be so but damn Jack, you weren't born yesterday, Google that shit!" Candy wanted to scream at her friend, but what do you expect from a beach bum pothead! She knew Jack liked to dabble in the recreational marijuana avaliable in Colorado, and she did too occasionally and had picked up a heavy eigth of Purple Punch for the holiday hike she was about to embark with her work buddy!

 Jack hung up then and pulled out his Galaxy Note 8. Opened up his Google app and typed into the search bar 'Things to bring on a hike' and made a quick list. He grabbed his knapsack and bum bag and began to pack. He grabbed his running shoes, and a light sweat pant and t- shirt to wear for the day, set them to the side, and then packed an extra set of clothes into the bag. He made sure to pack bottled water, nutrition bars, a face towel, sunblock, toliet paper, a compass and sunglasses in the bag as well. Then he grabbed his tent, sleeping bag and hiking poles to throw in Candy's trunk when she got there. And of course, his peace pipe would be in his bum bag strapped to his waist for the hike!

 They were gonna spend the day at the Garden of the Gods and then drive to Upper Gold Camp road and hike a few miles out to camp for the night. Then on Sunday they planned to hike up until about 2pm and then drive home and BBQ for Memorial Day Monday! Tuesday would come soon enough and they would be back to slinging chickens at the chicken factory. Candy had worked there for a few years before Jack came along from Florida and worked right along side of Candy for nearly two years now. They had become the best of friends, and how couldn't they after spending nearly 12 hours a work day standing in one spot, thinking of any and everything they could conversate about to make the dreaded work day go by as fast as possible. Many of their co workers had thought they were more than meets they eye, but neither of them were attracted to the other in anyway. Just the best of friends from the day they met.

 Candy was a little more prepared than Jack, since she had been going hiking for nearly all her life. Being twenty five with no children and no boyfriend, her job and hobbies were all she had. She would spend many of her days off wondering around the in the mountains. Helen Hunt Falls was by far her favorite, and was hoping to spend a little time there tomorrow before setting up camp for the night.

Pulling out her military style, outdoor waterproof tan rucksack her father had given her three years before for Christmas, she checked on the weather and knew that there was a slight chance of rain, so she made sure to pack her rain poncho, and threw an extra one in for Jack. Anytime she invited guests to come along with her, she remembered to pack a little extra just in case something was forgotton and she knew in Jack's case forgetting important things was common. She finished packing and was in bed by midnight. Looking forward to the weekend, and tired from the work week, she was asleep moments after her head hit the pillow. Meanwhile, Jack is tossing and turning, filled with thoughts caused by his manic case of anxiety about trying new things. "I've got to get some sleep." Jack kept telling himself. He sat up, turned the bedside lamp on and grabbed his bedtime bong, one sure way of getting some shut eye is some much needed help from a heavy indica! 

 Candy was in Jack's driveway at precisely 10:20am Saturday morning. The Memorial Day traffic was just getting started, and she knew the Garden of the Gods free parking lot would be filling up fast. Jack was ready to go when she arrived and threw his bag in the seat behind him and buckled into the passenger seat.

 "Mocha Frappe for you my good friend," Candy giggled as she handed Jack the much needed caffinated drink.

 "Dude, I was up late tripping over this hike, like, I have no idea what I am doing here." Jack looked like a child, worried about empressing his friends on the play ground.

 "Uh, dude, theres nothing to worry about, what is there to fret over? We're gonna be 'walking around the in woods' basically, what's so hard about that?" Candy said, nearly laughing at Jack now.

 "Exactly what you just said, walking around in the woods. There's bears and spiders and snakes and who knows what else."

 "Oh, Jack, chill out bro! I can walk threw these woods with my eyes closed. Speaking of closed eyes tho, check out this new smoke I got from Maggie's yestereday. Smoke your fears away!" Candy handed him the black container filled with the earthy herb.

 "Smells like my kinda hike," Jack took in the sweet smell for a moment before he packed it into his pipe and they smoked all the way to the garden. Which by the way is not a garden of flowers and plants, but a garden of enormous rock formations. We found a parking spot quicker than I expected and grabbed our backpacks.

 Kissing Camels was one of the first things they noticed on the path along Palmer Trail, as it is easily seen perched on top of one of the largest fomations there. And as they finished off the Palmer Trail and merged onto the Siamese Twins trail, Jack was already out of breath. He sat down under a tree and pulled out a bottle of water. Feeling the sun beam down on her face, Candy laid out a blanket and sat down with a berry granola bar and finished her coffee. There were tourist there from all over, but they had found a secluded spot for the time being and felt safe to pull out the smoke. After a few puffs they put their things away and gathered up their trash and along the path they went.

 Forty five minuets later, they stopped again. The most popular attraction of the park has to be the Balanced Rock. There were so many people around taking pictures that Candy had to snap the pictures pretty quickly before the next group of people were lining up to get their photo taken. Candy and Jack squeezed together the best they could for a shot in front of the large rock. It looked fairly stable, but depending on the angle you are looking at it from, it appears as if it will just topple over at any given moment.

 "Are you still nervous?" Candy asked Jack with a look of wonder. He seemed a little out of breath by then and Jack just smiled and said, "Nope. Just super stoned and thankful were not in a fault line of earthquakes or else I'd freak out about this crazy looking large rock," he laughed as he said it tho, and Candy could tell he was relaxed.

 It was mid afternoon by the time they decided to leave the Garden of the Gods and drive into the mountains to Upper Gold Camp road. The air was crisp and the mountain was beginning to get chill already. It was always about thrity degrees cooler on the mountain than in the town down below. After getting the tent set up, they built a small fire and set up the lantern, and dug into the cooler for the hotdogs Candy had packed for them to munch on and a few beers to relax with as well. It was a perfect evening for a campfire. They sat talking into the night and smoked a few Colorado Kush joints. It wasn't until about 2am, after they had been in a deep slumber for a few hours that Jack had woken up to pee, he heard a loud scream in the distance. Not too close, but close enough.

 "Candy! Candy! Wake up!! I heard some shit, and well, it wasn't lullibies." Jack cried.

 "Chill out man, it's nature. Of couse were gonna hear things!" she said threw her yawns.

 "No, Candy, what I heard wasn't 'nature', it was a horrific scream and no amount of herb is gonna calm me down this time. I'm up for the night now." Jack said, still gasping for his breath.

 "Ugh, fine Jack, I'm up too. Now what?" she asked.

 "I don't know, you're the expert!" Jack yelled. "We'll, you didn't wanna join me in the sleep activity I had planned, so I don't know Jack." Candy was tired of arguing with him then, and just began packing up the campsite to get ready for the rest of the hike. She had spent many nights alone in these very woods, and thought it was funny that Jack was so scared.

 "Look, Jack, we have been up for two hours now, and we haven't heard a thing, why don't we lay back down a bit and try to get a little more sleep until the sun comes up. I have some instant coffee I can make to get us going."

 "Okay, Candy, I'll try. Let me just... smoke!" Jack laughed and flicked the lighter toward her playfully. Smoke filled the air then and it wasn't long after that Candy heard Jack snoring again and she tucked herself in her sleeping bag and didn't awake again until morning.

 As promised, Candy had the freeze dried coffee heating up over the fire and pre cooked sausage ready for Jack when he opened his eyes.

 "Ya know, I never really thought I'd enjoy this nature hiking crap your obsessed with," Jack told her as he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, "but I'm really glad you invited me along. I'd prolly be at home watching some old surfing videos and longing for the waves and lonely for home if you hadn't asked me. So thank you for this, it really means alot to me. I feel like I can get used to this."

 "Really, you think so, Mr. I heard a scream!" Candy laughed at her friend then.

 "Shut up, Candy! But for real, this is fun." Jack smiled, and they packed up then and went back up the trail, they spent the day at Helen Hunt Falls, just as Candy had hoped. It stayed cloudy most of the day, but no rain ever fell, which they were both grateful for. They stayed in the mountains until sky was glittering with stars and they decided to pack up and drive back to the city. The thirty minute drive home was peacful, they were both equally stoned and listening to the sound of the busy traffic. Once at Jack's, they made a list of the food they wanted to BBQ the next day. Candy told Jack that she would stop by the market on the way over the next morning to pick up the groceries they would need for the day. Jack kissed Candy's cheek then, and thanked her once again for a wonderful adventure and for opening his mind up to the endless possibilties avaliable to him there.

 "I am very lucky to have found a friend like you, Candy!" Jack said.

 "Likewise, Jack." Candy smiled at him then, "Maybe you can take me on one of your trips back home to the beach, I'm open to new adventures as well!"

 "Goodnight Candy! See you tomorrow!"