Story

No Vacancy.  The dull thud of the car door slowly disappeared into the night leaving nothing but the cold, eerie, silence found alone in the forest.  Departing from the trailhead our eyes gradually adjusted as the last glimmer of the car’s lights faded into the darkness.  The dim light of the headlamp revealed a few lifeless vehicles gradually came into focus as we passed by their hidden alcoves amongst the tree line.  “No way!  Had they not heard the storm warnings?” I thought to myself.  With roaring rumbles of thunder off in the distance I didn’t think anyone was foolish enough to risk racing a storm up a mountain to catch a few meteors.  That was my job; I was the potentially irrational one willing to brave a damp, cold night of exposure in the North Cascades.  Convincing myself that the other adventurers would be much wiser to camp in the upcoming valleys we set off in search of the Hidden Lake Lookout.  Mile after mile Rogue and I trudged through the night on unfamiliar ground as meteors danced above us across the moonless sky.  Approaching the summit we hopped from one giant boulder to another unsure of what lay outside of the dim beam of light that guided our way.  Scrambling thru a narrow gap at the summit I finally saw it, the beautiful silhouette of the lookout lit up by the faint light from the stars.  That moment of elation quickly vanished as a light flickered on in the cabin.  With the lookout full, we setup outside underneath the stars, nestled amongst the rocks.  Rogue spent the night curled up by my side until the warm rays of sunrise washed away the last glimpses of the meteor shower.