Minnie Crockwell - Will Travel for Trouble 03 - Trouble at Glacier (2 page)

“Welcome to Glacier National Park,” he said. Handsome and tanned with dark hair and dark brown eyes, he wore his taupe and green uniform well. One of my fantasies during my long and fairly dreary working life for the federal government had been to transfer to the National Park Service, sport such a hat, and commune with bears and moose on a daily basis.
 

His nametag revealed him to be Ranger Jackson.
 

“Thank you,” I said.
 

He stood back and surveyed the outside of my rig much as a man might have looked a woman up and down.

Even white teeth flashed as he smiled.

“You can take that lane over there,” he pointed to the far right. “You know you can’t take your RV over Going-to-the-Sun Road, right? There’s a 21-foot limit.”

I nodded and took a deep breath to still the pitter-patter of my heart at his handsome self.

Ben cleared his throat, but I ignored him.
 

“Yes, I know,” I said. “I’m just going to Apgar campground. Is it full yet?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I doubt it though. It’s Tuesday and early enough. They can look it up for you on the computer at the entrance.”

“Thanks,” I said.
 

Ranger Jackson stepped back, already with an eye toward the vehicle behind me, and I turned the wheel slightly to maneuver the RV into the appropriate lane.

You wear your heart on your sleeve, Minerva,
Ben said quietly.

“Not my heart, Ben. Ogling a nice-looking man in uniform hardly involves my heart.” I chuckled uncomfortably. As I said, Ben and I had a complicated relationship.

I pulled up to the kiosk at the entrance and leaned down to hand the young female ranger my entrance fee. She checked her computer and stated that the Apgar campground wasn’t full yet, and she handed me a park brochure.

“Apgar campground is just 2 miles down the road. Follow the signs,” she said. She swished her blonde ponytail jauntily under her ranger hat. “Enjoy your stay!”

“Thanks,” I said, wishing that had been me years ago when I was motivated to swish my dark brown ponytail. I worked my way down the well-paved road, keeping my eyes open for any sign of wildlife in the evergreen trees. I’d read that moose and black bears could occasionally be seen near the road if one was lucky.

“You’re watching for animals, right, Ben?”

Of course,
Ben said.
We always kept an alert eye out for wildlife on the expedition. Food was not as readily available then as it is in your time.

“Ben! Not for food!” I almost screeched. “To look at! To admire!”

No, of course not,
he chuckled.
You are able to stop at the grocer’s and procure fruits, vegetables and strange little packages you call organic bars.

“That’s me, Ben,” I said with a shrug and a smile. “Okay, keep your eyes peeled.”

On the short journey to the campground, I scanned the trees on either side of the road eagerly but saw nothing moving. I pulled into the campground and stopped at the unmanned fee station. A bright red-painted sign featuring a drawing of a grizzly warned me that bears entered the campground and that I must secure all food within the vehicle. Campers were advised that all wildlife was dangerous and not to approach or feed them.

The instructions were to locate a campsite and return to pay the fee. I meandered slowly along the various loops searching for an empty space that was large enough to accommodate my RV plus my small blue compact tow car. Luckily, many of the spaces were pull-through sites so I could park the RV before I unhooked the car.

“What do you think about this spot, Ben?” I paused in front of one heavily treed vacant site that paralleled the road as most of them did. I saw other RVs searching out empty spaces and knew the campground was filling up fast.

Lovely,
Ben said.
Your door will open toward the woods, thus ensuring you a measure of privacy.

I pulled in, checking my mirrors carefully on either side to avoid scraping trees.

“I think I’ll be able to put my slides out,” I said, “but I doubt my satellite will pick up anything under this canopy of trees.” I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter though. I’d have to run the generator for power, and I can’t imagine watching TV with the generator running, not here in this lovely quiet park.”

I agree,
Ben said.
The noise would ruin the serenity of the forest.
 

I parked, leveled the rig and descended from the RV to see if I had clearance to extend my slides. If not, I would have to climb over the bed to reach the shower. Or alternatively, I could take a shower in the campground restrooms themselves. As it happened, I had plenty of room on either side of the RV. A small wooden picnic bench nearby completed the space.

“Smell that!” I crowed, inhaling deeply. The scent of pine filled the air. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
 

Yes,
Ben agreed with a chuckle.
It does have a pleasant scent, especially after the noxious fumes along the highway.
 

“Well, I suppose you’re used to the smell of the great outdoors, aren’t you?” I said with a grin. “No emissions from cars and trucks, no hot asphalted highways, no industrial discharges.
 

Ah! But we do not have your wonderful indoor plumbing or your electric heating. Our cities do not smell particularly pleasant.

I nodded.

“I hope I get to see a bear, even a little black bear.” I scanned the campground as if one was going to saunter up to me.

Be careful what you wish for, my dear. Black bears are every bit as dangerous as grizzly bears. Bear encounters were not a particularly unusual event on the expedition. You will not appreciate the outcome of those encounters, so I shall not describe them.

“If you ate them, then no, I don’t want to hear about it.”

Eat or be eaten
, Ben murmured. I thought I heard a chuckle in his voice, but I had no intention of laughing. My plan was to admire the park wildlife…on all four legs, from afar.

“Hello there,” a voice called out from the opposite side of the RV nearest the road. A tall, silver-haired man rounded the back of the RV and approached. Though he was dressed somewhat like a ranger in a taupe shirt and forest green slacks, instead of the ranger hat he wore a green baseball cap.

“I’m the campground host here, Rick Cannon,” he said, extending his hand.
 

“Oh! I was just going down to pay my fee,” I said guiltily. I had only been at the site for five minutes. Surely, the host hadn’t expected me to beat feet back to the entrance that quickly, had he?

“No worries,” he said with a crinkly blue-eyed grin. “I was just driving by in my cart and thought I’d pop in and say welcome.”

“Oh, okay,” I said with relief. “Thank you. It’s beautiful here. Do you take care of this campground every year?”

“Well, actually no. My sister and brother-in-law usually take care of it, but she had some surgery last month so they left early. I said I’d come on out and take care of it until the summer season ends. I’ve worked as a campground host for the Park Service before, so they were happy enough with the arrangement.”

“Where are you from?” I asked. “You said you had ‘come on out?’”

“Michigan. Have you been there? Beautiful state.”

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. I hope to get there some day though.”

On closer inspection, I noted he did not wear a wedding ring.
 

“I see your plate says you’re from Washington,” he said. “What part?”

“The Seattle area,” I said.
 

He looked behind me as if searching for something.

“Are you traveling alone?”

I sighed. The inevitable question. Not really. But yes.

“Yes, I am,” I said with a lift of my chin.

“Good for you,” he said. “Me too. My wife passed a few years ago, so I’m on my own.” Faded blue eyes blinked quickly.

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. That explained the absence of a wedding ring.

“Well, I’ll let you get settled in. How long are you staying?”

“A week, I think. Well, at least a week.”

“Good! I’ll see you around then.” He tipped the edge of his cap and moved out of sight.

A kindly gentleman,
Ben offered,
if a little sad.
 

“Yes, he does seem sad. Clearly, he misses his wife.”

Yes.

“No chance she’s hanging out with you anywhere, is there?” I was only half joking.

No, dear. As I told you before, I do not commune with others who have died. I have not encountered other ghosts.

I grinned. He had told me that before, but I couldn’t resist asking. Had he told me he existed in a world of millions of ghosts and spirits, I would have panicked. One was enough for me.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Rick said, coming around the back of my RV again. “There was a black bear sighting near the campground this morning, so make sure you keep food locked up. Don’t leave anything out. We don’t want to encourage the bear to stay in the area.”

“Really?” I squeaked in excitement. “No, of course not.” I looked around. “Where was he?”

“On the edge of the campground. Black bears visit the campground once in a while, but we still don’t take it lightly. I don’t, that’s for sure. The rangers will be cruising the campground to keep an eye on him, see that he doesn’t get up to anything.”

I grinned. How exciting!

He gave me a pointed look.

“Bears are dangerous, ma’am. You’ve got that look in your eye, like you plan to look for him. He’s not a grizzly, but a bear is a bear.” His face darkened.

Given the severity of his look, I tried to compose my features into a serious expression.

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

“Good!”

Rick tipped his hat again.
 

“All right, see you around,” he said. He disappeared, and I ran into the RV and located my camera.

“I’m going to get a picture if the bear shows up,” I said. “Let’s go for a walk!”

I see his words of warning are going unheeded,
Ben said.
Did you not wish to unhook your blue vehicle or extend your slides? The usual preparations you make when you settle in?

“No way! I can do that later. Let’s go bear hunting!” I brandished my camera.

Ben chuckled.

I clutched my camera at the ready and tried to look nonchalant as I wandered the paved loops of the large campground in search of something black and furry.
 

Are you not afraid, Minerva?
Ben asked.

“I don’t think so,” I said with a shake of my head. “Maybe I’m too dumb to be afraid.” I smiled to ease the harshness of my words.
 

Perhaps your bears are tamer than they were in my time.

“Oh, like they’re park pets? I seriously doubt it. You heard the host. The rangers will be monitoring the bear’s activities.”

Right on cue, Ranger Jackson pulled up alongside me in a white pickup truck featuring a green stripe down the side. I could see another park ranger vehicle, a cruiser, turn down another loop. Yes, the rangers were out in force.

“Hello again,” Jackson said. “I see you found the campground.”

I paused, heat spreading across my face.
 

“Yes, I did,” I said breathlessly. Please let this be one of those times that Ben wasn’t reading my mind.
 

I resist the urge to do so, my dear, but your blushes are quite telling.

“Listen, I don’t know if you heard, but we’ve got a black bear visiting the area. You’re safe enough walking on the road here but don’t approach him if you see him. I can’t tell you how many visitors think they’re tame. We’re looking for him now just to keep an eye on him.”

I hid my camera behind my back and nodded innocently.

“Sure,” I said.
 

“Other than that, what do you think about the park? Is this your first time here?”

“Yes,” I said with a nod. “It’s beautiful. I haven’t seen much of it yet, but I hope to get on Going-to-the-Sun Road tomorrow.”

He grinned that outdoorsy white-toothed grin of his.

“You can make it to the east side of the park and back in a couple of hours if you don’t stop. But I do recommend that you stop along the way. Leave early so you can stop at the visitors’ center at Logan Pass. That parking lot fills up fast. Are you heading out tomorrow?”

I nodded.
 

“Well, I’ll probably see you on the road. I’m working tomorrow. Small blue car, right?”

I blinked. “How did you know that?”

“You were towing one when you came in. I saw your rig parked back there and saw the blue car hooked up.” He grinned, and my toes curled…in a good way.

“Well, I’d better get going. Don’t forget to walk over to Lake McDonald, too. Just take that path there. It’s beautiful.” He nodded in the direction of an asphalt path leading away from the campground.