It was an early June weekend, which I looked forward to every summer.  A weekend with the girls to get away from our busy, everyday lives, relax, and reconnect with our inner selves.

The norm for our annual event was to reserve a mountain cabin, part of a network of many similar huts or cabins throughout the Rocky Mountains. A place where we could drink, eat, and converse around the campfire, just far enough from any contact with the outside world, yet close enough to civilization for comfort in case of emergency.

You can hike into one of these chosen locations and stay for one day or more, then either return to where you originated, or move on to another cabin farther down the trail system.

This year, each of my girlfriends had one by one backed out of our trip due to various reasons or conflicts, until I was the only one remaining.  I’d contemplated canceling too after the last of our group had called me to say she could not go this year either, but our fee was non-refundable, so if I wanted to go it alone, then everything had been paid for already.

I thought briefly about seeing if my husband wanted to go with me as a stand-in, but then thought that this would defeat the whole purpose of getting away to reconnect with my inner self.  It also seemed wrong to reveal some of the mystery of the girls' trip and what our experience was like each year. In the end, I decided to embrace the opportunity for a little independent self-care and go solo this year. My husband was supportive, as long as I checked in properly for the hike with my intended destination and timing in case something went wrong.  I promised that I would.

On the day of the trip, I made the two-hour drive from my house to the trailhead, which was located in a state park campground. The cabin was located about 3 miles up into national forest land from there. I signed the ledger at the trailhead for people entering the park as I’d promised and then started on my way.

Part of the attraction of these cabins is that they come well stocked by the park service with most of the things you will need included in the daily fee. You only need to bring your own sheets or sleeping bag, clothing, and food.  Since it was just going to be me this year for the three-day weekend, I didn’t see the need to bring too many extra clothes. After all, nobody would be along to see me from one day to the next, so a single change of clothes and a coat would be fine. That meant my pack had plenty of room for a flat sheet, pillow case, and my food with space to spare. I decided to take advantage of that and pay the “weight toll” to haul along 2 bottles of wine.  I’d curse that decision hiking in, but I’d love it when I was sitting around my campfire later.

The time passed fairly quickly on my hike. The weather was pleasant, the trail soft, and the gradient not too steep. As I wove my way through the pines, I observed birds, chipmunks, and even a lone marmot.

In what seemed like no time at all, the cabin came into view through the forest. Perched on a large outcropping and overlooking a beautiful valley below, it was breathtaking.  After taking a moment to catch my breath, I dropped my pack from my shoulders and onto the porch before consulting a text on my cellphone for the combo of the lockbox on the door for the key. Upon successfully retrieving it, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.   

The cabin was very rustic and quaint, consisting of one big room with a very large stone fireplace and a brass bed with a feather mattress. There was a simple kitchen containing a few cabinets for dishes and some countertop prep space, but no running water. The fireplace had some iron accessories for hanging pots and a place to set a frying pan, as well as some tools for moving the logs and some bellows.

Because there was no water, this meant there was also no restroom, but there was an outhouse only a short distance away. This information had been conspicuously absent from the online description of the amenities. A large porch roof provided very nice cover for a few rocking chairs. With no electricity, the fireplace and some lanterns with candles were the only lighting available once it got dark. This meant there would be no charging of cell phones, which really didn’t matter because there was no WiFi or phone service anyway. The lack of power also meant that dinner prep and eating would be best performed early in the evening.  This was truly getting away from it all, and I loved it.

After bringing my backpack in from the porch and unloading it, I decided that I should make a trip down the hill to where I could hear water flowing somewhere below the cabin. I needed to get a pail of water to boil for drinking and cooking.

Making my way down the hill, I drew closer to what looked to be a small river. I could see from my elevated vantage point what looked to be a person fly fishing below me.  I stopped and sat down on a boulder for a minute to watch him, not wanting to disturb his solitude, or at least not for a little longer.

Observing the rhythm of his casting was hypnotic. So effortless and relaxed in its motion, it really was beautiful to watch. Cast after cast, he repeated his movements, seeming to believe that the latest cast would bring the desired result that the previous ones had not.

Just as I prepared to move the rest of the way down to the riverside, the tip of the angler's rod bent noticeably to indicate that his efforts had finally been rewarded. The fisherman scrambled over rocks, his arm held high as he did so, in an effort to pursue his adversary as it ran downstream away from him. It was during this game of chase that I was shocked to see him awkwardly stumble on the slick rocks and fall into a rather deep area of the river where the current was gaining depth and speed.

Concerned for his safety, I quickly made my way down to the river's edge to offer any assistance I could perhaps provide. However, by the time I arrived, the angler had already regained his footing and trudged back to the riverbank, straight rod in hand to indicate who had won this particular battle.

Announcing my presence by asking if he was alright, he turned and in a startled voice replied that yes, he was.

It was at this moment that I could first see that this was one attractive fisherman. His dark wet hair, tanned skin, and engaging smile certainly took my attention up another level.

“I’m Amy,” I offered, moving a little closer.

“Cliff,” he replied, extending his hand. “Very nice to meet you, Amy, even though I am a bit embarrassed that you saw such a beautiful display of balance on my part.”

I laughed and told him that I’d been watching him quietly for a bit and had already confirmed that he had a grace and beauty in how he fished that one unfortunate fall would not erase.

The sun was getting lower in the sky now, the mountains and trees bringing shade to the canyon much sooner than the sunset that would follow later. I could tell that Cliff was already a bit chilly from his unplanned swim in the cold water, and the light breeze blowing on him was making him even colder. His lower lip was a little blue, and I could see he was also already shivering a little.

I asked if he had some dry clothes with him, and he said that would have been a great call if he’d planned ahead, but that he’d only planned on an overnight in his tent and didn’t bring much along, because after all, he NEVER fell down.

He said that he’d just call it quits a little early today and go back to build a fire, then hang everything up to dry for the evening.

“But you don’t have anything to wear while you are doing that?” I questioned.

He laughed and answered that his sleeping bag would need to do for now, and that he could just crawl into that for the night and leave the fire stoked to dry his clothes.

I replied that while that seemed like a terrific plan, it seemed a little silly to suffer when I had a warm, dry cabin just up the hill where he could probably get his things dry a little more efficiently.  There had to be something around the cabin that would suffice for some temporary clothing while he did that. And I’d have a dinner guest to boot.

Reluctantly, or at least feigning reluctance, he accepted my offer. He said he just needed a few minutes to throw some things in his tent while he was away. As we turned to leave the river, he stopped and bent down at the water's edge to retrieve a trout that he’d caught earlier and had been keeping for dinner.  Perfect!

I led the way back up the hill toward the cabin, conversing with my newfound dinner partner over my shoulder.  I couldn’t help but feel that he was surveying my backside as he followed me.  If he was, that was ok because I would have definitely been doing the same if he was leading.

Arriving back at the cabin, we went inside and set to work building a fire in the massive fireplace before setting up a makeshift drying rack to one side, which would allow us still to cook on the other side.    

Once the flames were growing and there was a place to put his wet clothes, I told Cliff I’d be out on the porch so he could get out of his wet clothing, since there really was no place to do so privately in the one-room structure.

After a few minutes, I heard my name called and that it was ok for me to come back in.  Walking back in the door, I was caught off guard to find him wearing only a towel and still rearranging some of his wet clothing on the drying rack.

“I’m sorry, but I had to use your towel,” he said apologetically. “I looked around, and there really isn’t anything else in here that I could put on other than the bedding. I hope that’s ok.”

“Perfectly ok,” I replied with a laugh, my heart racing a little faster, “my towel has never looked better.”

As Cliff finished hanging his clothes and turned back toward me from the fire, the towel, as if on cue, decided to liberate itself from his body. Horrified, he quickly bent down to retrieve it from the floor and quickly wrapped himself in it once again. This all took only a second or two, but I’m sure it seemed like much longer for him.

“I am so terribly embarrassed,” he stammered, “I’m so sorry.”

Trying to relieve the awkwardness of the moment, I simply responded, “Don’t be sorry. You definitely have nothing that you should be embarrassed about from what I saw.”

Knowing that I might have said those words just a little too honestly, I froze for a moment with the feeling that I might see the towel drop again, only on purpose this time.  After a short pause, we both gave a nervous laugh before I offered to get dinner started.

Working quickly in the dimming mountain light, Cliff lit one of the candle lanterns for the kitchen area, and I proceeded to cut up some potatoes and onions for the skillet over the fire.  Cliff cleaned one of the trout and rinsed it efficiently with some of our limited water from the supply bucket before wrapping it in foil and throwing it on the fire next to the skillet.

“Wine!” I exclaimed.  “I forgot I have wine!”

Opening the cupboard, I retrieved one of the two bottles and then a corkscrew from one of the drawers. Plastic cups were all that were available, but we didn’t care.

When the food was ready, we pulled two rockers over in front of the fire and ate with our plates in our laps in makeshift fashion, setting our glasses on the plank floor when needed.  After we had finished, we took the dirty dishes back over to the kitchen counter, refilled our glasses, and then settled back into the rockers.

“How dry are your clothes getting over there?” I asked.

“I don’t know, let me check and see,“ he answered.

Rising from his chair in the firelight, Cliff took a few steps over to feel the clothing on the rack before stating that it was all still pretty damp.  As he did so, I used the opportunity to sneak a peak of him in the same way I suspected he had done with me on the trail earlier.

Cliff turned back toward me from the fire, but instead of sitting back down into his rocker, he paused for a moment. Looking straight into my eyes in the flickering firelight, he released the towel from his waist and let it drop to the floor again, this time standing tall and with intention.

Shocked for a moment, I regrouped my thoughts on how to respond.

“I was right before,” I finally said.

“How so?” he replied.

“That you definitely have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Cliff’s body was muscular and beautiful. I let my eyes wander up and down it as I let myself fully appreciate the sight.  My previous brief look had been all too fleeting to fully gauge just how generously endowed he truly was. Maybe it had been the effects of the cold wet clothing and his embarrassment, but now, with his body warmed by the fire, wine and our stimulating conversation, I could see the full picture.

I rose from my chair, stepped closer to him, and then kissed him as he pulled me tight to his naked body. While he held me there, kissing me deeply, I could feel his semi-erect cock growing harder between us. As it did, his hands moved to my neckline and began to unbutton my flannel shirt in a methodical downward progression.

When the last button had succumbed, he slipped the shirt from my shoulders while I tugged the cuffs from my hands and let it fall to the floor behind me. I then reached back to unfasten my bra while he unbuttoned my pants. In short order, we both stood naked over a pile of discarded clothing.

Our kissing grew more passionate now, and my hand moved blindly to secure the ever-hardening cock I could feel pressed against me.  By feel, I could tell it was impressive to say the least.

I broke away from our kiss and allowed us space to survey each other’s bodies in the warm light of the fire. I could tell from the seductive smile looking back at me that he was happy with what he saw, as was I.

Dropping to my knees before him, I reached for Cliff’s now very rigid manhood and began to move my hand back and forth, my eyes gazing upward and locked on his.

I squeezed more firmly now, causing his knees to buckle slightly while a shallow moan escaped from his mouth. It was then that he placed his hand on the back of my blonde head to run his fingers through my hair and then ever so gently pressed it forward to guide me toward himself.

I opened my mouth and extended my tongue a little to softly wet the tip of his cock, before closing my eyes and slowly moving farther downward. He felt incredible sliding through my needy lips and deeper into my upper body. I relaxed, letting him take more control as he probed me.

Pulling me up to my feet, he took my hand and led me to the feather bed, then lay me down onto my back before him. The flickering light of the fire behind him obscured all but his silhouette above my heaving breasts, as he moved between my ever-widening legs. He crept higher into position over me, supporting himself on outstretched arms as he lowered himself to compress me deeper into the pillow-soft mattress for another kiss.

Rising back to his knees, Cliff’s hands now wandered my body in exploration. First over my breasts and up to my throat before running back lower and between my parted thighs. Teasing me with his touch, he dragged a lone finger up and down my narrow, wet slit repeatedly, before finally adding a second.  Penetrating me with both fingers in a deep curling fashion, he elicited an arching response from my tiny body.

I was his now, and he knew it. I begged for him now, my hunger growing with every movement of his capable fingers. My knees opened wider for him, inviting him to ravish me in the quiet darkness of this secret and private mountain hideaway.

Moonlight cascaded through the window next to the bed, illuminating our bodies in a pale while glow.  No phones, no service, no people, no surprise visitors up a dark mountain trail until at least daylight.  Only two strangers brought together by chance. No one would ever know what happened between them this night.

Cliff withdrew his fingers and grasped his cock to align himself for my coming penetration.  He was hard and hungry, ready to claim me as the fire crackled loudly behind him.

God, how I wanted this, how I needed this. I hadn’t realized it until this moment, but my inner rebalancing was a sexual rebalancing.  To feel the lust, craving, and sexual abandon of that first sexual experience… and here it was.

My wish was granted as the swollen head of Cliff’s cock spread my tight little pussy and entered me. Inch by beautiful inch, the remainder of his generous shaft followed until I felt his thighs against me.  I groaned now as he reached as deep within me as he was able, arching my back in reaction when he withdrew and reentered with more purposeful and repeated strokes.

My desire erupted now, and I began thrusting my own hips in rhythm with his, my wrists pinned helplessly to the mattress above my head. My breasts bobbed up and down with each of Cliff’s thrusts, his eyes following them as they did.

This setting - the cabin, the fire, the moonlight brought forth an incredible sense of sexual abandon I had never felt before.  I wanted to be fucked everywhere possible here.  On the floor in front of the fire, on the porch under the moon and stars, and grasping the brass rails of this feather bed.  Cliff would have me in all these ways and more before this night was through.

Returning to the present, I felt myself being driven into the feather mattress with force.  Pure animal lust was in control of Cliff, and I knew that this first round was his, to have me as he pleased.

In and out of my tiny frame, his gorgeous cock worked me over as I whimpered and moaned. I could sense the signs of his building ejaculation, his desire to release his seed deep inside me.  I dug my nails deep and hard into his ass, pulling him to me tightly and signaling I wanted the same.  Rising to his palms, his back arching in the firelight, I sensed Cliff’s body tense as he gazed down upon my voluptuous body and erupted within me.

My own desire exploded from me now too as I burst into orgasm to join him, the sensation of his beautiful cock beating deep inside me like another heart.

I bucked and arched under him as he withdrew and grasped himself firmly, stroking himself through his continuing contractions as he ejaculated onto my torso and breasts, creating a smattering of glistening little pearls scattered across me in the flickering light.

Completely spent now, Cliff collapsed beside me, and we both lay chest up as our labored breathing slowed, knowing that this night was still far from over. After a few minutes, I arose from the bed and walked into the kitchen area. Opening the cupboard, I grabbed the second bottle of wine and the corkscrew.

“Bring that quilt and meet me on the front porch,” I said as I opened the door and stepped outside.  “We need to check out the moon and stars.