There's Something Out There John + Anthony PCT 6-19-19

"Something is out there, Anthony" John said. 

"There's nothing out there," Anthony said.  "You're just tired and still freaked out about the puma prints around our tent."

Anthony froze. "Did you hear that?" They grabbed their walking sticks and stood back to back.

It was so dark under trees that even though the moon was still almost full, it couldn't penetrate through the trees. 

They moved a few yards to the west, listening, waiting.

"I heard it again," John said. "Let's move over there." They moved several times, shining their flashlights in the direction of the noise. It was a breathing sound from what seemed like a large animal. "You don't think it's the puma that walked around our tents last night, do you?" John asked.

They walked back and forth from one tree to the next, shining their flashlights up in the trees, and scanning the ground in front of them. 

"We can't walk around all night," Anthony said. "I'm losing track of where our tents are."They finally stopped and slowly walked back to their tents.

"If it hasn't made its presence known by now, it probably won't," John said. There was a loud crack. They both jumped and pointed their flashlights in the direction of the sound.

"Oh sorry guys," a voice said. A young man came forward shielding his eyes from their flashlights. "I was trying to set up my tent in the dark because my flashlight battery is exhausted.  Could one of you come and shine your flashlights so I could set up my tent?"

John and Anthony were relieved and they both went to help the young hiker set up us tent about 30 feet away from their own tents. 

They woke up the next morning and the guy they helped the night before was gone. "Well, that's a fine how do you do," Anthony said. "Not even a thank you from that guy."

They trekked up about 3,600 feet and down about 4,000 feet and 21 miles. They stopped and looked through the trees to the north.
"Hey! look at that view of Mount Shasta with the sun going down," John said. "Mushroom and the gang will want some photos of this view.