Lesson Learned

By Gavin Stellmon

Photos by Tanner Stellmon

The trailhead to Curtis Lake was marked by two wooden planks that faced the sky. Dad took the lead, followed by Everett, me, and James. It was the first backpacking trip for us three and the terrain was rugged and very steep at the beginning, but none of us wanted to call for a break, so we pushed on.

I quickly started drinking my blue sugar-filled sports drink, which all of us had brought. We weren’t carrying water because we planned to filter water from the lake for drinking and cooking our dehydrated meals. That was a mistake.

About ten minutes before our arrival at the trailhead, Dad and I had picked up my cousins James and Everett at our family cabin in Cascade. The cabin is right on Horsethief Reservoir, and my family goes there regularly with relatives, especially in the summer. Curtis Lake is close to the cabin. Once we got to the trailhead, we were bouncing up and down with excitement.

Dad pulled over on the side of the road and the three of us kids jumped out of the car. I heard water sloshing in the large dispenser we had brought along for when we got back to the truck.

“Whew, there’s a ton of bugs!” James said, slapping his arm. He’s fifteen, older than I am by about a year. He has curly brown hair, a mischievous grin, and is slightly taller than me.

“No kidding,” Everett exclaimed. He’s about a year younger than me but his height comes up only to my chest. He’s a brown-haired kid, but his hair is so light it might as well be red, and he has a face full of freckles. Even though he’s small in stature, his brain sure isn’t.