From civilization to Armageddon
in thirty minutes
"It's a miracle, Harry! A world-record!"
Harry smiled. "No, Paul! It's merely the first time we've got out of O'Hare without a line-up. We'll be in Seattle before the noon flights arrive."
I agreed. I liked Harry. We hadn't flown together before, but I had heard good things about him. When I volunteered to substitute for the Chicago - Vancouver run, I had no idea that this was my opportunity to meet him. All I had in mind, was to get as fast as possible away from the sweltering heat that had transformed the East Coast into a steam-bath, and of course away from anything whatsoever that was even remotely connected with the seminar which had just ended. Who else, but the government would have thought of holding a seminar in Miami, in July? The subject was as hot and dreadful as the weather, a course on civil rescue procedures for the eventuality of a nuclear war! Vancouver's 'perpetual' rain and relative isolation seemed like paradise suddenly. And beyond that I was looking forward to being with my family again. It had all been arranged. We would meet in Vancouver for a visit with Frank. The occasion was Frank's birthday and a three-day hiking trip to Garibaldi Park. The anticipation of this hike into the mountains had made the depressing two weeks in Miami almost bearable. I played a game with myself. When the topic of the course became too frightening, I imagined the four of us and our children camping among glaciers and mountain lakes, with a peace surrounding us as pure as the sky.
Spending two weeks in a classroom, for eight hours a day, had made me want to fly again so badly. I would have done it for nothing. Well, it turns out that one can't do that. One also has to accept the money that comes with it. I was lucky on top of all that. I got a direct route via Chicago and Seattle to Vancouver.
"United 023 Heavy! ...How's the weather at 40,000?" Seattle tower called in as we approached. We had confirmed our projected arrival at 11:37 as per schedule.
Harry made a gesture of approval.
"United 023 Heavy to SEATAC - Harry says it's smooth up here..."
Harry smiled.
"Hey, is that Harry Sallinger you're referring to?" SEATAC came back.
"The very same. The one and only, the original, the..."
"Would you give him a message, that Felix got the trailer hitch for him that he was looking for."
Harry grinned and switched his mike on. "I heard that, Felix! That's great! Thanks a million; over and out!"
He turned to me with a big smile. "I was lucky that I didn't lose my whole trailer last weekend when the mounting bar cracked. It nearly broke off, coming down from Snoqualmie Pass. Somebody might have been killed had the trailer gone wild!"
It turned out that Harry and I had much in common. We both loved mountains, photography, music, opera. We had talked about hiking most of the way out from Chicago. Having been born in Seattle, Harry knew every mountain of the Pacific Northwest that was worth climbing. When I told him about our planned trip to Garibaldi Park, he smiled. Naturally, he knew that area too.
"Will you stay right at the lake on the battleship islands, or camp at the meadows?" he asked.
"The lake, I would think," I replied. "Frank knows someone who owns a float plane. He'll fly us in, in total comfort, and pick us up three days later...."
"A bunch of Sunday climbers, eh!" he remarked.
"It will be a family affair, with kids! We have a four year old daughter, who isn't quite ready yet for a ten hour hike."
