Canada Moose's Arc

Chapter 3 of 4

The next morning, Cee Cee returned to the wooden tower with a map tucked under her arm. She spread it flat on the cedar table and pointed to a spot high above marker 164. Canada Moose leaned in and saw tiny figures drawn on the cliff face — climbers, she explained, stranded on a ledge overnight. Cee Cee traced a route up the sandstone cliff with one claw. "We need to reach them before the storm hits," she said. "But neither of us knows high-altitude rope work." Canada Moose felt his stomach drop. The rescue at marker 164 had been ground level — this was different. He looked at the layered rock formation rising beyond the trees and knew his tower drills wouldn't be enough. They hiked up to the cliff and found a small log cabin tucked against the base. Inside was a shed stocked with coiled ropes, harnesses, and metal anchors. Cee Cee pulled out a manual with diagrams of knots and descent techniques. For three hours they practiced on the lower bands of rock. Canada Moose's hooves kept slipping on the carabiners. Cee Cee showed him how to thread the rope through twice and lock it with his weight. He tried again. This time it held. By afternoon, Canada Moose could rappel twenty feet without fumbling the brake hand. It wasn't enough to reach the stranded climbers — not yet — but Cee Cee marked the cliff face with chalk to track their progress. "We'll come back tomorrow," she said. Canada Moose nodded and felt the gold cross press against his chest. He wasn't ready for a high-altitude rescue, but he was closer than he'd been yesterday. That had to count for something.