Page 62 of Double Exposure

“This is spectacular. Look at the light through the icicles,” she says, the camera back around her neck.

We set off again, and I show her more of the trail, this time moving downhill. Within earshot of the first fall, the sounds of a second stream rush to our left.

“That sounds pretty big,” she says.

I shake my head. “There’s really nothing much down there. It’s probably just melt.”

“You don't think so? I thought you knew everything about this mountain. “ She grins.

“That's the thing about water. It's always changing.”

“Let's explore,” she says.

We move off the trail down a steep incline toward the sound of water. Within five minutes, we find it. This stream is not nearly as wide, maybe three feet, but it's spectacular. Along shallow banks, there’s at least four different varieties of bright green moss. Some have already thrown up spores.

“Oh, this is beautiful,” she says squatting for a moment. Off come the gloves. She takes out a lens as big as the camera, kneels, and takes a series of shots of tumbling water, rocks, moss and lichens.

It's not until the fourth or fifth time that I notice something wrong. She is kneeling in the center of a raised circle of pine needles.

A bear trap.

Fuck.

“Jade. Don’t move.”

She may have already tripped the trap by standing on the plate. She starts to stand.

“Don't,” I say again. “Don’t move at all.”

“What’s wrong.” She starts to shift her weight and there is no color in her face.

“Stop!” I pause and lower my voice. I can barely breathe. “You are kneeling in the middle of a trap. And I don't know if it's active.”

“Oh my God.”

“Just breathe. Don't move.”

“I thought they were illegal.”

“They are. People still make them though. Homemade shit. It’s why so many bears have missing toes and paws.” I squat down to take a look. “You may have triggered the plate. Did you feel anything when you knelt down?”

Her face is pale. “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

She swallows.

“You’re going to be fine.”

“Really?”

“Really. I promise. It’s triggered by weight,” I say as matter of fact as I can. “I am going to put my foot right where you're kneeling. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“We’re basically going to switch our weight.”

“No.”

“Yes,” I say.