“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”
—Lewis Carroll
by Greg Hague
Summer of ‘88. Flagstaff, AZ. Camping with Dad & Roseann. My name is Corey. I was 6. My brothers: Casey was 5. Brian at 9.
Casey, Corey, and Brian dressed for adventure
We begged and begged Dad, adventure this time! “Hunting,” we said, “We’re ready to die.” Older brother Brian carried the weapon of choice, a BB gun full. Also, our sack of dried peaches for fuel.
I sported a Rambo knife. Little brother Casey had plastic Chinese throwing stars and foam nunchuks affixed to his side. Dad carried my compass so we wouldn’t get lost. Camouflage, bandanas, and black face paint; off we marched into the woods.
Dad strolled down the trail as we darted around. We crunched in the leaves and hid behind trees. It was a blast. As we emerged from a ditch, I thought The trail’s not there! Dad sat on a stump, a few feet away.
“Dad, are we on the trail?” I was hoping for “yes.” “No, we’re lost,” he calmly said.
“Lost,” I exclaimed with concern. (I wondered, do dads get lost?)
Dad pulled out my compass. “Follow me,” he waved with a smile. To the trail, I thought. An hour went by. Dad suddenly stopped.
“The compass is broken!” he said with disgust.
Panic I felt. “Dad, the compass is right. I use it a lot.” But I wondered. Was I right?
We walk for hours, then more. “Let’s stop for a snack to recharge.” Dad said, “Brian, dried peaches for all.” Brian looked sick. With a whimper he fessed up, “Sorry, I ate them at the last stop.” (I think Dad already knew.)
“Too bad,” Dad said. “The night without food.” The night? “This compass is wrong,” Dad mumbled again. “Dad!” I scolded, “I used that compass on the drive here. It worked then.” I shouted at Brian, “It’s your fault. You ate all the peaches. Now Dad’s too weak to find the way home!”
Then they appeared. Wolves stone-still in the clear.
Dad snapped out of a spell, gathered us close, stepped up like a shield, picked up a stick, unsheathed my knife; and looked hard at those wolves with a don’t you dare stare. The wolves looked at Dad a most curious way. In less then a minute they trotted away.
With understandable fear we looked up at Dad. “Time to go home.” he casually said. Within minutes the campsite appeared. How did Dad get there so fast? At that moment, we didn’t care. But it did come up later at dinner. “Dad, how did we get back so fast?” I asked.
Dad smiled and said,
“Corey, we were always just minutes away. You guys asked for adventure. That’s what you got.”
As it turns out, Dad walked us in circles. The compass was right. Casey then asked,
“But the wolves?” Dad burst out laughing. “Now, that was a surprise.”
The best gift from a dad? Adventures with Dad.
15 years later. More adventures with Dad.
Still lost in the woods.
(l-r) Cousin Jason, little brother Casey, me (Corey Hague), Dad, Roseann, big brother Brian.