Winter Chance - Walking in Wolf Tracks - Prologue

The young man saw no other choice. Whether he could afford the time or not, he had to take a break. Forward progress came at a huge cost, as he battled a biting wind and deep snow. Every muscle and nerve, every ligament and joint, pleaded for a recess. He huddled up against the paper-like bark of a birch tree—gulping in mouthfuls of air. When breathing slowed, and his pulse stopped pounding, the teen tilted his face skyward.

Apparently Mother Nature hadn’t completed her work. Several feet of fresh white powder already carpeted the forest floor. And from the appearance of slate-colored clouds overhead, another round of redecorating was about to begin.

Pushing down panic, the youth lowered his gaze and resumed plodding in the general direction of the trail. If he were to save himself, the narrow forest path had to be reached before dark. He didn’t dare linger. That could prove fatal, and he wasn’t ready to die.

The teenager was positive the weather gods held a grudge against him. The forecast promised clear skies and more days of above-normal temperatures. Yeah, he brooded, just like the prediction for the autumn adventure. Why hadn’t the lesson been learned the first time?

This two day trip seemed so simple—so safe—and the perfect prescription for a private dilemma. Catch a ride up the Gunflint Trail, then hike to an out-of-the-way wilderness lake. Set up camp, do some winter fishing, and bed down for the night. Trek back to the blacktop around noon the next day.

Easy enough. But like so often happens in life, things hadn’t gone as planned. Who could have possibly foreseen Old Man Winter joining forces with a pair of ill-tempered outlaws? Working as a team, the trio had managed to transform this innocent outing into a life or death survival test.