"And bears. Don't forget about the bears."
Early Wednesday morning, Hannah picked me up at my place and we drove to O'Hare airport together. She was excited about the trip, but I was still having second thoughts about going away with so many people I knew. No one yet knew about my recent lesbian experiences—not even Hannah—and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hide my attraction to six scantily-clad women alone in the wilderness.
"You've been awfully quiet lately," she said, glancing at me watching the cars go by.
"I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately. You know, after the divorce, it's been a little...strange. Not knowing what to do with myself, not having anybody to share intimate moments with..."
"Well nothing's going to happen staying holed up alone in your house, that's for sure. You've got to get back on the horse. I've been trying to take you out to the bar for quite a while now—"
I shook my head and sighed.
"That's just not my scene anymore, Han. I'm getting too...old for those pick-up routines."
Hannah took her eyes off the road for a moment and stared at me.
"But you still like men, right? I hope you haven't lost your mojo. You're just reaching your sexual prime—"
"It's still there. I guess I'm just looking for the...right one."
"Well let's not worry about any of that for a few days. It's just going to be us girls in the middle of nowhere, with no one around for miles. We don't need no stinking men where we're going!"
I huffed an awkward chuckle, then looked out my window at the passing traffic.
The drive north from Toronto into the Canadian interior was stunning. I marveled at all the pretty rivers and lakes alongside the highway, dotted with pretty boathouses and motor yachts plying the dark blue water. The landscape got increasingly rugged the further we got from the city, and about halfway to our final destination we stopped at an outfitter's to rent two canoes. We chose the top-of-the-line skiffs made of fiberglass and kevlar, and I was surprised how easy it was to lift them up and strap them to the top of our big SUV.
Lilly sat up front while Hannah provided navigation using a crumpled old map from her childhood. Bonnie and Madison, who I alread
y knew from my previous job, sat in the middle seat, while I sat in the rear jumper seat with the new girl, Emma. It was hard keeping my attention focused on the passing scenery with her downy legs poking through skimpy cargo shorts rubbing against me on the cramped bench.
She was a little younger than the rest of us, somewhere in her late twenties I estimated, but absolutely gorgeous. Long corkscrew-curly hair tumbled over her plump youthful cheeks and pretty rosebud lips. She reminded me of the college girl Abby, and I kept stealing glances at her exposed legs whenever she peered out her window.
"Everything okay back there?" Hannah called from the front seat, peering into the rearview mirror. "Jade, are you and Emma getting caught up? You're the only ones who don't really know each other. I hope you guys are making friends—we've got a long trip ahead of us."
"Emma's a doll," I said, stealing another quick glance at her. "We've been pointing out our favorite boathouses along the way. This really is God's country up here."
"You haven't seen anything yet," Lilly said, from the front seat. "What ‘til you get to Algonquin Park. It's even more beautiful up there. No boats, no cars, and no people. Just the quietest, most serene lake country you'll ever experience."
"How did you know about this place?" Madison chimed in from the middle seat.
"My grandparents had a cottage on Lake Muskoka, not too far from here. I used to spend every summer there growing up, waterskiing during the day, lying on the dock to get a tan, entertaining friends at night. My granddad was the one who taught me how to fish. There's nothing like the taste of fresh-caught smallmouth bass cooked in a skillet with nothing but butter. You guys are going to die and thought you'd gone to heaven."
"If I don't die first watching you cut its head off," I joked.
The last few miles to our embarkation point took us along a narrow gravel road through thick maple and birch trees. We could hear the overhanging branches scraping against the hulls of the overturned canoes on the roof of our car, and I smiled at Emma when she reached over and grasped my hand in excitement. The road terminated in a thicket by a small parking lot, and we locked our car near a beat-up old Pathfinder, then lifted our heavy backpacks loaded with provisions onto our shoulders.
Lilly and Hannah took the lead carrying the first canoe, while Bonnie and Madison followed close behind carrying the second one. Emma and I took up the rear, keeping a nervous watch out for bears. The trail was narrow and rough, with plenty of dips and boulders to navigate. I was glad I'd brought my hiking shoes as I stepped gingerly over the slippery moss-covered rocks.
"Are we there yet?" I called ahead to Hannah and Lilly, only half-kidding.
"It's about thirty more minutes to the main lake where we'll put in," Lilly said. "But there's a pretty waterfall about halfway where we can rest and freshen up."
"Suck it up, trooper," Hannah said. "Don't be a pussy. We haven't even got to the hard part yet. Enjoy the scenery. Can't you smell the fresh scent of the Great White North?"
"I thought that was the scent of your stinky armpits," I joked.
Fifteen minutes later, we began to hear the distant sound of a waterfall as the trail began to get steeper and more treacherous. The girls carrying the canoes had to walk carefully so as not to lose their footing and topple the canoes from their shoulders. I suddenly felt guilty about not carrying my weight.
"Do you guys need a third?" I shouted ahead. "Those canoes look pretty heavy. I'm happy to lend another shoulder."