Clara was not sure how much further it was to the place where she would meet Helen at noon the following day. She continued up the trail, searching for a serve-yourself backpacker's campground that according to her campground guidebook was about three miles from the top of the hill.
A group of women about her mother's age were already there, setting up a tent, unpacking food and and dishes. She spread her blanket nearby.Clara went to sleep early -- to the sound of women's voices, telling stories about their lives in a place where she had never been.