It was their fourth day of winter break, and Clancy was on a sledding trip to Yosemite with his cousins. Every day they would drive to a hill near Half Dome. If there was any fresh snow on the hill, Uncle Jake would sled down it in a sled of his own invention. It was used to create sled runs.
Aunt Molly was starting to pack up the car when Clancy felt a small tug on the pompom of his hat.
“Clancy!” He turned around to see his six-year-old cousin, Kelsey, standing tiptoe on her bunny sled. “Can I please go down with you one more time?” Clancy ruffled Kelsey’s fiery red hair, which reminded him of a sunset.
“Definitely,” Clancy said. “We need to have at least one sled where we make it all the way to the end of the hill!” Kelsey smiled, and climbed onto the sled behind Clancy.
“Hold on tight,” he said, and then shouted over his shoulder to let his uncle know they were going down one final time.
Uncle Jake made an unintelligible reply, for Clancy had already pushed off. He and Kelsey were headed fast down the hill. Clancy tried to slow them down with his feet — which worked at first, until he felt a sharp pain in his right heel. His foot had slammed into a rock hidden in the snow. He tore away his right foot, but his left foot was still firmly in the snow, making them turn a sharp left.
Kelsey shrieked and grabbed onto Clancy's shoulders. They were headed straight for a drop-off right into the Merced River! Kelsey took her hands off Clancy and grabbed onto a tree branch in an attempt to stop their fall. This swung the sled sideways and flung them down the other side of the hill. They shot off so fast that Kelsey ripped off the entire tree branch. Clancy raked his hands through the snow to gradually slow them down.
They eventually came to a bank and slowed to a stop, both of them bewildered. Kelsey giggled and Clancy chuckled through his pain. When something cold pricked his nose, Clancy realized it had started to snow. He got up to shake out his leg and dust the snow off his coat.
“C’mon, Kelse,” Clancy said. “We should start heading back.” They had gone way farther than he’d thought.
Kelsey nodded and picked up the branch. They followed their sled trail back up the hill, as more and more snow swirled around them. It was getting difficult to see the trail. Finally, they couldn’t see it at all.
Kelsey began to get worried when, after ten minutes of walking, they still hadn’t found the car.
“Clance, what if they left without us?” she said, dragging the branch behind her. “I’m getting tired.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Clancy said. “We probably just . . .” He looked around. Nothing looked familiar. He sighed and tied the reins of the sled around his waist. “Let’s go back to the river and follow it to the cabin — then we can call your mom.”
They rode the sled back down to the bank, and started to follow the setting sun in the direction Clancy knew they would find the cabin.
* * * * *
The snow crunched underfoot as Clancy limped along the frozen Merced. The walk had been long, and all he could think about were the lovely s’mores waiting for Kelsey and him back at camp. Thick rope was tied around his waist as he pulled his little cousin on the shiny purple sled that Aunt Molly and Uncle Jake had made for him.
Even though Clancy was worried about how late they would get back, there was something peaceful about the way the light of the stars sparkled in the reflection of the running water. It took his mind off his aching heel.
Stopping to sit for a quick break on a rock to rest his foot, Clancy saw two large elk drinking from the river about six yards away. One of them had huge antlers that were covered in sharp icicles dancing in the sun.
“Hey, Kelse,” he whispered, nudging his cousin. “Look.” She let out a little gasp that made one of the huge beasts raise its head. It approached Clancy with curious eyes and he could see its breath in plumes of silver steam. As Clancy exhaled, his breath collided with the creature’s. He watched the mist twirl and float, reminding him of the blizzards back home in Minnesota.
The elk stared at Clancy and Kelsey for a moment and then turned away, walking through an opening in the trees.
“Maybe he knows a short cut!” Kelsey said with wide eyes. She hopped up and slowly started to follow the deer from a safe distance. After she disappeared around a bend, Clancy heard a yelp of joy. “Clancy, the camp is right here!”
Clancy grabbed the sled and ran after his cousin. Sure enough, the camp was right there across the river. He ran over a fallen log and into the cabin, and used the phone to dial his aunt's number. She was coming home. He paused by the window, looking out, and was surprised to see the two elk. They gazed back, then turned and disappeared into the woods.
Aunt Molly was starting to pack up the car when Clancy felt a small tug on the pompom of his hat.
“Clancy!” He turned around to see his six-year-old cousin, Kelsey, standing tiptoe on her bunny sled. “Can I please go down with you one more time?” Clancy ruffled Kelsey’s fiery red hair, which reminded him of a sunset.
“Definitely,” Clancy said. “We need to have at least one sled where we make it all the way to the end of the hill!” Kelsey smiled, and climbed onto the sled behind Clancy.
“Hold on tight,” he said, and then shouted over his shoulder to let his uncle know they were going down one final time.
Uncle Jake made an unintelligible reply, for Clancy had already pushed off. He and Kelsey were headed fast down the hill. Clancy tried to slow them down with his feet — which worked at first, until he felt a sharp pain in his right heel. His foot had slammed into a rock hidden in the snow. He tore away his right foot, but his left foot was still firmly in the snow, making them turn a sharp left.
Kelsey shrieked and grabbed onto Clancy's shoulders. They were headed straight for a drop-off right into the Merced River! Kelsey took her hands off Clancy and grabbed onto a tree branch in an attempt to stop their fall. This swung the sled sideways and flung them down the other side of the hill. They shot off so fast that Kelsey ripped off the entire tree branch. Clancy raked his hands through the snow to gradually slow them down.
They eventually came to a bank and slowed to a stop, both of them bewildered. Kelsey giggled and Clancy chuckled through his pain. When something cold pricked his nose, Clancy realized it had started to snow. He got up to shake out his leg and dust the snow off his coat.
“C’mon, Kelse,” Clancy said. “We should start heading back.” They had gone way farther than he’d thought.
Kelsey nodded and picked up the branch. They followed their sled trail back up the hill, as more and more snow swirled around them. It was getting difficult to see the trail. Finally, they couldn’t see it at all.
Kelsey began to get worried when, after ten minutes of walking, they still hadn’t found the car.
“Clance, what if they left without us?” she said, dragging the branch behind her. “I’m getting tired.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Clancy said. “We probably just . . .” He looked around. Nothing looked familiar. He sighed and tied the reins of the sled around his waist. “Let’s go back to the river and follow it to the cabin — then we can call your mom.”
They rode the sled back down to the bank, and started to follow the setting sun in the direction Clancy knew they would find the cabin.
* * * * *
The snow crunched underfoot as Clancy limped along the frozen Merced. The walk had been long, and all he could think about were the lovely s’mores waiting for Kelsey and him back at camp. Thick rope was tied around his waist as he pulled his little cousin on the shiny purple sled that Aunt Molly and Uncle Jake had made for him.
Even though Clancy was worried about how late they would get back, there was something peaceful about the way the light of the stars sparkled in the reflection of the running water. It took his mind off his aching heel.
Stopping to sit for a quick break on a rock to rest his foot, Clancy saw two large elk drinking from the river about six yards away. One of them had huge antlers that were covered in sharp icicles dancing in the sun.
“Hey, Kelse,” he whispered, nudging his cousin. “Look.” She let out a little gasp that made one of the huge beasts raise its head. It approached Clancy with curious eyes and he could see its breath in plumes of silver steam. As Clancy exhaled, his breath collided with the creature’s. He watched the mist twirl and float, reminding him of the blizzards back home in Minnesota.
The elk stared at Clancy and Kelsey for a moment and then turned away, walking through an opening in the trees.
“Maybe he knows a short cut!” Kelsey said with wide eyes. She hopped up and slowly started to follow the deer from a safe distance. After she disappeared around a bend, Clancy heard a yelp of joy. “Clancy, the camp is right here!”
Clancy grabbed the sled and ran after his cousin. Sure enough, the camp was right there across the river. He ran over a fallen log and into the cabin, and used the phone to dial his aunt's number. She was coming home. He paused by the window, looking out, and was surprised to see the two elk. They gazed back, then turned and disappeared into the woods.