The clouds high in the big Montana sky were puffy and white. The sun was shining warmly on this early Spring day. The air smelled fresh and the grass rustled near the trailhead. I walked around to the back of my pickup truck and threw the last few items I’d need for the weekend into my pack. Sunscreen, water filter, first aid kit. I was headed out for a weekend of backpacking through the most remote sections of northern Montana; I wasn’t expecting to see too many other people.

With my muscular arms I hoisted my fifty-pound pack onto my back, buckled the straps securely around myself, and then set off onto the trail. My long legs were thankful for the exercise. After months of confinement indoors during the winter, it was good to be out on the land again.

The first couple miles were easy going. The path was wide and level. A brook flowed next to the trail and the cool breeze coming off of it was a big relief on this warm day. Up ahead I could see the way start to rise up a small slope. I dug in my heels and began the trek upwards.

After about fifty feet of elevation gain, I crested the rise and was able to look out over the countryside ahead of me. The fields of yellow-green grasses spread as far as I could see. Not a single road, house, or other human artifact in the entire view. Some basalt buttes jutted from the landscape a few miles ahead, rust red in the afternoon sun.

I kept walking for the rest of the afternoon. The buttes remained tantalizingly just out of reach. I guess I underestimated how far they were ahead of me. They loomed in the distance. I could see now how huge they actually were.

The dust swirled around my face as I plodded along in my heavy boots thorough the dry land. The pack was starting to weigh on my back after more than three straight hours of walking. I decided to stop and have a swig of water.

As I turned back to survey the way I had come, I saw in the distance a very small red dot. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like it was on the trail. It could be a bright red hiking pack, I guessed, hoping that I was wrong and that I wouldn’t have to share the trail with anyone else this weekend.

There was nothing I could do about it but try to stay ahead of them, so I turned and continued walking. By now, the buttes were starting to engulf me. The first few were merely outcroppings of brown rock that sprung from the grasslands in odd intervals. But after another mile of trekking, the buttes had grown to be a hundred feet high, surrounding the trail on both sides with their vertical faces.

The sun shone less brightly down here in the canyon, as it had already become late afternoon and the angle couldn’t penetrate into the gorge. I enjoyed the cooler temperatures in the shade and decided to see if I could make it to the next river crossing before it became dark and I’d have to make camp for the night.

I heard the stream before I could see it. It babbled gently somewhere ahead of me, seeming to be always just ’round the next bend. Finally, the towering cliffs broke open, and I could see the water cut across the land just at the bottom of a small hill. The river ran brown and muddy through the shrub land.

My legs ached after eight hours of hiking. My shins felt tight as I came down the slope. Once I got closer, I could see the stream had carved out a small arroyo into the landscape, and there were sandy banks and small trees just over the edge.

I climbed down the ten-foot embankment once I found an easy foothold, and decided to set up camp. I noticed a small clearing between two trees and laid down a tarp to add an extra layer between the ground and me. Next was the tent. It said it was for two, but it was plenty snug with just myself inside. After arranging a few more odds and ends, I set about collecting some firewood.

An hour later, the fire crackled as the sun sank in tones of muted pink below the western horizon. I heated some meat over the fire and sat on a log as the flesh crackled and spit. The smoky aroma filtered through the air.

The clouds parted during the evening, revealing a starry sky with no moon. The thousands of little points of light twinkled at me as my fire ran low. I gazed up at the nearest butte; all I could see was its black silhouette against the starry sky.

After making sure the fire was completely extinguished, I retired to my tent.

*

The second day dawned cool and clear. A small layer of dew clung to the outside of my tent. The bright yellow sun was already up in the blue sky, and I heard birds chirping near the stream. I quickly packed camp and slung my pack over my shoulders before setting off again. I hoped to cover at least twenty-five miles by the end of the day.

My first task was to cross the brook in front of me. It wasn’t too deep, but it was wide, and a ford was not immediately apparent. Not wanting to risk a good pair of dry socks, I decided to throw some small boulders into the water to make some steps across.

Minutes later, and I was on the other side. I had left the towering basalt cliffs behind me. Ahead was mile after mile of gently rolling grassland. The stalks rose all the way to my shoulders, and the trail narrowed as the grass encroached from both sides. I felt the tall grasses swish against my shoulders as I plodded on.

The grass blocked my views to the side, and I could only see a hundred feet ahead of me. It felt like I was walking through a canyon of grass, unable to go any direction but forward.

Up ahead I could see a tree rise, leafy and green, from the top of a distant hill. I decided to try to make it there before taking a break. Once I had reached it, I lowered my pack and took a generous gulp of water. I’d need to find another stream or river before nightfall to replenish my supply.

Looking back towards the expansive grasslands behind me, I noticed the same red dot from the previous day. It was coming down the trail through the tall grass, and today it looked closer. Only a mile or two behind me at the most.

Not wanting to give this person any extra time to catch up, I shouldered my pack once more and set off down the trail. The rolling landscape continued, and I found myself becoming tired more quickly than normal as I walked up and down the hills. The hills blocked my views both in front and behind. I wasn’t sure where the hiker behind me was, and I couldn’t tell how far ahead it would be until I reached the next river.

At the bottom of a hill I felt a drop of water on my nose. Frowning, I looked up at the sky to see heavy, purple clouds coming in from the west. They looked dark and menacing, but still many miles off. I needed to find a place to camp. And soon.

I picked up my pace and kept moving forward. Finally, at the top of a hill I could see a river in the distance. The land sloped downward to the river valley only about a half mile in front of me. I hurried down the final hill as the black clouds started to fill the entire sky. A gust of wind swept in from behind me and encouraged me forward.

Ahead I could see a small bridge someone had built across the narrowest point of the river. It was just a few downed trees lashed together to cross the ten-foot span, but it looked sturdy. I hustled across the makeshift bridge and came up against some small cliffs on the other side of the river. I decided this would be a good place to camp with some shelter on one side. I quickly laid out my tarp, erected the tent, and stuffed my gear inside just as the raindrops started to fall.

The storm came out of nowhere. It had been clear and sunny only minutes before, and now heavy drops were pelting the side of my tent with a ferocity I hadn’t encountered in many years out on the trail. I was thankful to be warm and dry inside my tent while the storm raged outside.

*

I must have fallen asleep with the hypnotic repetition of the raindrops hammering my tent. I awoke and unzipped the rain fly of my tent to find the sun had gone down. There was a sliver of moon in the sky, just enough for me to see my surroundings. The rain was still coming down hard. The river rushed by quickly only fifty feet from where I had pitched my tent next to the cliff.

There was a flash of lightning, quickly followed by the peal of thunder. The storm was right on top of me. In the distance I thought I saw some movement through the flap in my tent, but as I continued to stare in that direction, didn’t see anything again.

A minute later I heard a noise. It was difficult to hear over the noise of the storm, but I definitely heard it. It was hard to make out. I strained my concentration trying to hear it again.

The thunder and lightning continued to crackle and split the sky. The flashes illuminated the river valley bright as day. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of red. Then it was immediately gone again. I trained my eyes on the spot I had last seen it until a flash of lightning tore through the sky.

In that instant, I could make out a person carrying a large red pack. They were a quarter mile above the river. The rain beat down on them savagely, and I heard them cry out in the distance as a muddy section of trail gave out under their feet. They slid for ten feet down the embankment then caught themselves and stood up again. I was paralyzed as I watched the person claw their way across the landscape, ravaged by this terrible storm.

By the time they got to the makeshift bridge crossing at the river, they were close enough that I could tell they were soaked. I could see the red pack stained wine-dark with the moisture. The person themselves was bundled inside a black hooded jacket. I could barely make out any of their features. Their arms swung wildly as they struggled down the muddy path.

As they stepped out onto the logs of the bridge, a flash of lightning clawed its way across the sky. At that exact moment, I could see the erosive water running down the trail undermine the bridge’s position in the hillside. The logs started to slip free, and the hiker lost their balance as the bridge under their feet shifted.

At that moment, I knew they needed my help. Leaping from the door of my tent, I sprinted out towards the river as I saw the bridge collapse and the hiker went down into the swiftly flowing water.

The rain licked my face as I sprinted along the shore, following the hiker as they clawed for purchase in the turbulent, foamy water. I could see their legs kicking, trying to keep their head up as they were weighed down by their large, waterlogged pack.

Up ahead I could see a rock outcropping jut into the water, cutting off half the stream. I ran up onto the rock just ahead of the hiker. I could see them finally unclip their pack and shake themselves free. They kicked out with their legs and I could see them making slow progress towards my bank, where the rocks might offer some chance at a handhold for them to climb out of the swirling water.

I was up on the rocks and could see the hiker swiftly being carried closer and closer to me by the strong current. It looked like they were moving too fast. They were on a collision course with the boulders, and I worried that they’d strike their head and sink to the bottom.

Not knowing what else to do, I climbed down the side of the rocks, hoping to get low enough to offer a hand to the hiker as they got close enough. Halfway down the rock face, my boot slipped on a patch of loose stones and I felt myself plunge into the icy water.

Luck was on my side, however, since I was pressed up against the rock face by the current coming straight at me. I wasn’t swept down the stream. Kicking hard with my heavily booted feet, I managed to get my head high enough to see that the hiker was only ten feet upstream from me, and on a collision course.

I yelled out to them, waving my arms. I saw them turn their head to me. The ice-blue eyes locked with mine. They saw my outstretched hand. They reached out, a slender hand extended towards mine. An instant later, their body careened into mine, the force of the impact almost knocking the wind out of my lungs.

As soon as I felt them make contact, I grabbed hold of their jacket and shoved them up against the rocks behind us. We both managed to find handholds on the craggy boulder, but the rain hitting us square in the face blinded us. I shielded my eyes and looked at the hiker. Their brilliant blue eyes were ablaze with adrenaline. We started to climb, hand over hand, finding footholds on the perilous rock face. The water licked at our heels as we finally cleared the river and emerged into the rain-soaked sky.

My muscles started to cramp from the cold, but I willed my body onwards, knowing that to plunge back into the river would mean certain death. Concentrating on nothing but putting one hand in front of the other, I finally managed to drag myself over the top of the rock, finding a flat surface to stand on.

Turning back towards the river, I looked over the edge of the rock and saw the hiker only a few feet below the lip. I called out and reached down with an outstretched arm. They looked up at me and I noticed the wild shock of hair that had been tossed by the river, and the pursed lips, set in a determined line as they climbed towards me.

Finally, their hand reached mine, and I used my aching muscles to pull them over the edge of the cliff and info relative safety. Their body collapsed into mine, and I noticed how light they were. Finally pulling back the hood, my tired mind was shocked to discover a woman’s profile.

Her features were slender and graceful. The hair, blonde. The lips, full and pink. Her nose was small and round. Her jaw, defined sharply. Her eyes were closed, and I feared for her safety. Hypothermia could set in if she didn’t get warm soon.

I called out loudly, trying to be heard over the screaming wind and rain. The words reached her, and her eyes shot open instantly. The brilliant blue hue seemed to search my face as I saw her try to make sense of this person who had pulled her from a raging river.

I could feel her body start to shiver beneath the jacket, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and started to help her back up the river to where I had made camp. Our clothes were soaked straight through, and I felt the added weight of the water as we quickly headed for the tent.

Finally back at camp, I helped her stoop to enter the small zippered door. I crawled in after her and immediately zipped the tent back up behind us to start creating a warmer air pocket inside. I then struggled free of my wet jacket. I reached down and started untying my soaked boots, then pulled off my wet socks, knowing that to remain in wet clothes would spell danger.

I glanced over at the woman. Her training had also started to take over. She had thrown her jacket into a corner of the tent, and was also freeing her feet from her waterlogged boots and socks. I looked down at my wet shirt, which clung tightly to my broad chest. Even though I didn’t know this woman at all, modesty would have to wait.

I slid my soaked shirt up over my head and tossed it away. I reached for my sleeping bag and unzipped a corner. I looked at the woman and she looked back at me. Our eyes connected, and we accepted a mutual understanding about exactly what needed to be done right now.

I watched as she wiggled free of her soaked shirt, exposing a tight, black sports bra underneath. She reached down with cold, shaking hands and fumbled with the clasp of her belt. She still couldn’t get it open on her second try, so without consciously deciding to, I reached over to help her. Since I hadn’t been in the water nearly as long, my hands were a bit more sure, and within seconds I had undone her belt and was helping her slide her hiking pants down her legs.

As our combined body heat started to warm the air inside the tent, my mind cleared and I realized that this woman was incredibly beautiful. I knew that I needed to keep in control; our lives were still in danger. But my male instincts couldn’t be completely shut off.

Her legs were slender and toned. Shaved smoothly, her skin firm and tight as I slid my hands down their length to help remove her pants. Looking back up, she had on a pair of small black panties which I could tell were also completely soaked through from the river. Her stomach was flat and trim. It heaved up and down as she gasped for breath after her tiring swim. Her sports bra was tight and black, also soaked through. I could clearly see her nipples pressed hard against the fabric.

Her face, with the ice-blue eyes, the small nose, full lips, and sculpted chin was the definition of classical beauty. Her hair, blonde and messy, framed her face wildly.

I managed to catch my thoughts enough to finally strip my own pants off. Clad in nothing but wet boxer shorts, I unzipped the side of the sleeping back and slid myself inside. The woman didn’t wait for an invitation, and wiggled her way inside as well.

The sleeping bag was designed for one person. Having two inside was very tight. But we knew we had to make do in order to share body heat and prevent ourselves from slipping into hypothermia. We positioned ourselves in a spooning position, her back to my front.

She reached down and zipped up the side of the sleeping bag. I could feel her body starting to warm up against my own. All our underwear was still completely soaked, but I guess modesty had determined that that was a line we weren’t going to cross yet.

We lay down against the floor of the tent, and her body immediately started to shiver. I wrapped my arms around her and felt that she was warming up a lot by this point. The shivers must be from adrenaline rather than cold.

I felt her legs intertwine with mine inside the cramped sleeping bag, and her body lean back into me. I held her close in my strong arms and tried to get her to stop shaking.

The rain continued to pound into the roof of the tent, and the lightning and thunder crashed every few seconds. The rainfly strained under the wind and we paused for a moment, willing the stakes holding it to remain fast.

After ten agonizing minutes of pounding rain and deafening thunder, the storm seemed to subside a small amount. The rain still beat down on the tent, but the wind was calmer.

Now feeling slightly less in danger, the woman turned her head in the sleeping bag so that we could lock eyes. She gazed at me for a moment, seeming to search my face for something.

Her eyes fluttered. She looked down. Then back up. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice shaking. Without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine.

I could feel my body warming quickly as her lips opened and her tongue snaked out into my mouth. She turned over in the sleeping bag so we were now front-to-front, and she wrapped her arms around my body, pulling me close.

I returned her kiss and explored her mouth with my own. I felt her cool lips become warmer with each second we spent kissing. I pulled her close to me inside the sleeping bag and felt our bodies warming one another. Her entire length was pressed hard against my body, and I felt my cock start to stir inside my underwear.

My hands explored her hard body as she started to writhe back and forth against me. Her groin was pressed against mine, and I felt my dick hardening by the second. I ran my hands up and down her back, feeling the tight muscles rippling under my fingers. Her arms felt strong and sure as she ran her hands up and down my chest, gripping my pecs, sliding over my abs.

Finally she started to slowly rock her pelvis back and forth, pressing herself hard against my now fully-erect cock. I felt the damp fabric of my underwear and hers strain against the pressure of my cock wanting to spring free. I slid my hands down and cupped her firm ass, feeling her rock it back and forth deep inside the sleeping bag.

Her shivering body was finally starting to calm down, and she soon slid her hands lower and lower, until I felt her gently slide one finger under the waistband of my underwear. One finger soon turned to two, and then to five, as she slid her entire hand down my leg underneath my boxers. Then I felt her slide her hand around my front until the tips of her fingers started to graze my long shaft. I felt myself twitch as her hand finally wrapped around my girth and she started to stroke me gently up and down.

Our kissing intensified, and our tongues darted back and forth into each others’ mouths. Our bodies rocked back and forth into one another, warming up quickly now, as her hand continued to slide up and down my long cock.

A peal of thunder shattered the sky as she reached down with her other hand and started tugging downward on the waistband of my boxers. In the tight confines of the sleeping bag, I shook my legs, trying to get it all the way off. I reached down with my hands and quickly started to perform the same action on her, looping my fingers under the waistline of her tiny, soaked panties and sliding them down her long, smooth legs.

I felt her gently kick her legs as the panties slid off over her toes and got lost deep in the recesses of the sleeping bag. Now with myself completely naked, and her clad in nothing but her tight, black sports bra, we rolled our bodies. I rolled onto to my back, and she climbed on top of me. The rain beat down on the roof of the tent.

She spread her legs to straddle me. The space between her legs was warm and inviting. I could feel her rub herself against my stomach, rocking her mound back and forth against my hard abs. I could feel that she was shaved smooth. She slid herself lower, until I finally felt the hard tip of my cock make contact with the warm lips of her pussy.

I was shocked at how wet she was with so little foreplay. I guess the adrenaline must have helped her along quite a bit. I felt my tip slide in between the moist folds of her outer lips. I heard her let out a soft moan as just my tip entered her. I felt her rock her pelvis back and forth, letting my cock head slide up and down her opening.

She slid me up to her clit and ground herself into me, letting my head rock back and forth over her sensitive little nub. I felt her body tense as another loud moan escaped her lips. She finally lowered herself back down so that the tip of my cock slid gently into her opening once more.

As the rain rolled off the top of the tent, she rocked her body up and down, teasing me with the idea of what it would feel like to finally be inside this perfect woman. Then she leaned in and crushed her lips into mine as she lowered herself all the way, impaling herself on my long, thick cock.

She screamed, a guttural, primal noise as my cock spread her tight pussy. A bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, and in that instant, I saw her face, twisted with a combination of pleasure and pain, her mouth pulled into a grimace or a smile.

Her body rocked back and forth on my cock, my entire length sliding in and out. I felt the muscular walls of her pussy part to accept me each time she slammed herself down onto my shaft. I felt our combined juices mingling, lubricating us and allowing her to writhe faster and faster over my long cock.

I reached down and grabbed her tiny waist with my hands, helping her to pump up and down ever harder and faster. I felt our bodies heating up, all danger of hypothermia gone at this point. We were starting to sweat inside the warm sleeping bag, and I felt our skin start to become slippery as our hard bodies slid up and down each other.

Finally unable to stand it any longer, I ripped open the zipper of the sleeping bag and felt the cool air rush in as our bodies were finally exposed to the rest of the air inside the tent. Feeling the extra space, the woman ran her hands up my chest, then planted her palms firmly on my pecs and used them to push herself up into a sitting position.

Her legs straddling me, her body straight up, tall and proud, she continued to ride my cock. Her hands pressed into my chest for balance, and I helped by cupping her waist and helping her to grind back and forth on my long, throbbing shaft.

I could see her nipples strain against the fabric of her sports bra in the cooler air of the tent. Her breasts struggled to break free of the thin material as they bounced up and down on her chest with each of her thrusts. I couldn’t take my eyes off her chest, my thoughts running wild, begging to see what was underneath.

Her blue eyes connected with mine, and she noticed where I had been looking. Giving a playful smirk, she reached up with both hands and started to wiggle out of her tight sports bra. Inside the moonlit tent, I could see the round, white flesh of her breasts start to spill out the bottom of the bra as she pulled it higher.

She continued to grind her pelvis desperately into mine as she slid the bra higher over her breasts. Finally, she reached the nipples, and her breasts popped free of the constraining fabric. I gazed from her tiny, slender waist up to the finest pair I have ever seen. Large, round, cantaloupe sized breasts that sat high on her chest, pointing straight ahead. Small nipples positioned directly in the middle of her huge, white breasts, firm and erect with her arousal and the cool air.

I continued to rock my hips back and forth, meeting every one of her thrusts with my own. My hands started to slide higher and higher up her torso. I felt her tiny waist, and then the bones of her ribs. Finally, I slid my hands around to the front and cupped her two perfect breasts. They were firm and dense. I used my fingers to gently pinch her nipples, and I was rewarded by her sharp intake of breath and a slight smile as I continued to play with her small, perky nipples.

I could hear her breathing become ragged. She gasped for air as she continued to ride my huge cock with abandon. Finally unable to hold herself up anymore, she fell down into my chest. I relished the feeling of her firm, full breasts crashing into me, pressed up against me as she continued to rock her pelvis back and forth.

Wanting to give her a rest, I put my hands around her waist and pulled her up off my cock. We both gave an involuntary gasp when I slid out. We felt a sense of emptiness, and wanted to be inside each other again as quickly as possible.

I turned her over on her back and spread her legs open wide as I positioned myself between them. I gazed down at her perfect, naked body, spread in front of me, cast in shades of white and gray in the moonlight. Her mouth hung slightly open. She took a sharp intake of breath and bit her bottom lip seductively as she gazed into my eyes with her own.

Her well-defined collarbones rose and fell with her heavy breathing. As I gazed lower, I saw her perfect, full breasts sitting up proudly on her chest, sagging only ever so slightly to each side as she lay on her back. Her round breasts tapered smoothly into a slender waist. Her stomach also rose and fell dramatically with each breath she took. Her hips widened from her waist, and then tapered smoothly into her long, toned legs.

I looked at her hungrily, almost unable to believe that this night was real. We had come so close to dying; it seemed only natural that we would celebrate by performing the most life-affirming act we knew.

Gazing at her hard, toned body made my cock swell once more, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I moved closer and positioned myself between her widely spread legs. I grasped my hard cock in one hand and guided it towards her opening. Her pussy was shaved completely smooth, and I enjoyed the feeling of running my sensitive tip over her perfect mound.

I slid still lower until my cock was nestled inside her outer lips. She moaned as I teased her with my tip. Her hands snaked out and grabbed me by the waist, pulling, begging me to enter her. After a moment more of teasing her, I obliged. I slid my cock forward and buried myself deep inside her waiting pussy.

We both let out a simultaneous gasp at the feeling of connection we felt once more. Her walls gripped me tightly from all sides as I started to slide back and forth, first slowly, then gradually building in intensity. She kept her hands on my waist, using them to guide me back and forth.

As I sped up, her breasts started to bounce back and forth on her chest. She arched her back, thrusting her chest high into the air. I reached down with one hand and grabbed one breast, feeling the firm, smooth texture in my rough palm. I kneaded and squeezed, feeling the resistance the firm flesh afforded my hand.

She wrapped her legs around my waist as I continued to rock my hips back and forth. My cock slid effortlessly in and out of her tight pussy, and I could feel our combined juices dripping down around my shaft.

Soon, I felt her pussy tighten. I saw her stomach start to twitch, the muscles contracting randomly and violently. She gripped me even harder with her legs and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down into her body. Her lips found mine and she hungrily bit my bottom lip as her hands ran through my hair.

She started moaning. First softly, then gradually growing in intensity. I felt her pussy become even wetter, and her muscles contracting all around me.

Seeing her body responding so hungrily to mine made me rocket towards orgasm. I felt the familiar tightening in my balls and the tingling of my shaft. I looked deeply into her ice-blue eyes. She understood what was happening. I saw her give an imperceptible nod as her moans grew in intensity and our bodies continued to rock back and forth in unison.

All of a sudden, her loud moans turned into a piercing scream. All four of her limbs gripped me with surprising strength as she held me tight against her body. Her pussy started to spasm. I felt it rippling and tightening up the entire length of my cock.

The sensation pushed me over the edge at the same time. I felt my balls throb as they released the beginning of an orgasm. I felt my cock throb once, twice, three times until a hot jet of cum shot out into her waiting body.

She continued to scream and moan as my cock shot load after load of sticky, warm cum deep inside her. I could feel her pussy writhing as I continued to thrust in and out. Her body bucked back and forth and her screams reached a crescendo as my cock continued to pump her full of my cum.

Soon both our orgasms started to subside. The last load of cum shot lazily into her tight pussy. Her body gave an involuntary twitch as I finally finished. I collapsed into her. I felt her breasts press into my chest and her arms wrap around me. Our legs and feet snaked around one another, and our breathing slowly started to relax.

A minute later I reluctantly let my half-hard cock slide out of her pussy for the final time that night. A warm, lazy river of my cum dripped from her lips onto the fabric of the sleeping bag. With our bodies still pressed against one another, she reached down and found the zipper. She slowly zipped it back up, cocooning us once again inside the bag’s warmth.

The rain pattered harmlessly against the roof and walls of the tent. A distant roll of thunder signified the retreat of the violent storm. She curled her body up close to mine in the cramped sleeping bag, and soon her regular breathing told me she had fallen asleep.

…to be continued…

---