John woke up shivering. A light, misty rain had been falling for an hour and he was completely soaked. He checked on the fire, but it looked in too bad of shape to resurrect. No use wasting time trying to dry and warm up. The best way would be a stiff hike, so he continued along the east bank of this unnamed river, saying goodbye to his temporary home. He finished the other half of his energy bar and refilled his water bottle at the river. Within an hour, steam rolled off his shirt and brow and he felt better. The misty rain had turned to a thick fog and the sun was valiantly trying to poke its way through. John saw three separate does and heard several species of birds. Two tributaries had joined the river and it was now a good-sized waterway. It was flowing straighter and the banks were higher and closer together, causing a faster current. There were, what John considered, mild rapids. At lunchtime, he finished his chicken wrap and refilled his water bottle in a small brook feeding the river.
Two hours later he began to hear a distant rumbling. It was constant and most likely not thunder. It sounded more like rushing water, like a waterfall. He only hoped it wasn’t too high and he could get down or around it.
The sun was descending through the treetops when John reached the cliff. The river cascaded over the edge and fell forty feet onto jagged rocks. He surveyed the edge for a hundred feet or so and thought he saw a way down. The sun, over his left shoulder, cast ominous shadows. It was best checked in the morning when the light was shining directly on the cliff. John walked away from the edge and searched for an adequate spot to spend the night.
Tomorrow he would make his decision.
Climb Down Travel Along Cliff