"These are the ones! They're perfect, Dad." said Ward, beaming. He held up his foot proudly, awaiting his father's verdict.
"They look fine. But to be good during an adventure, shoes have to be comfortable. Go walk around, and see how they feel." replied Ward's father.
The renowned explorer should know about choosing good hiking shoes. Thomas Graphers had already logged thousands of miles across the world's toughest terrain, after all.
He smiled as he recalled his most recent adventure. Scaling the cliffs in Navajo country had taken both skill and daring. The ancient paintings he had discovered made it an especially memorable experience, one which would be added to his memoirs.
"They are really comfortable!" exclaimed his son, interrupting his thoughts.
"Good. Let's go pay for them, then we can start planning our trip. Tell me, are you in the mood to do anything in particular?"
"Can we go mountain climbing?" asked Ward, enthusiastically.
"Yes, we can do that. How would you like to see a real abandoned gold mine, and maybe even some bighorn sheep?"
"Cool!" he exclaimed, excited to be planning his very first expedition.
"This cavern is huge! I never knew mines were so big." marveled Ward.
"This isn't the mine, we have a little further to go first. This was formed by nature. It used to be an underground river." explained Dad.
"We are walking through an old river? Could it fill up again?"
"Perhaps one day. But not any time soon." he assured his son.
"There's the entrance to the mine!" exclaimed Ward, as he removed debris from the old but solid beams. Nobody had been in there for a very long time.
"Let's be careful. No loud noises, and be careful of what you touch." warned his father, who had explored many such places.
Ward nodded, and the two of them crept down the long tunnel. At the first side tunnel, they carefully marked their way, and went in. After doing this several times, they found one which had caved in.
The two dug through the wreckage, careful not to disturb the larger pieces. Then they came upon a skeleton!
"Now this is a real treasure. Let's take note of the spot. Then we can have a team come out later, and take him back to his family, so he can have a proper burial." whispered Dad.
The child nodded solemnly. They began the process, when Ward noticed something. "Dad, I think that's another tunnel." He said quietly, pointing to the side.
Dad grinned. A chip off the old block! This tunnel was almost completely hidden, and even had a rough plank door.
Once they entered, they saw the reason for the activity. The tunnel ended in a small chamber, which contained supplies. There was a wide variety of items. From hardhats and pick axes, to pilot bread.
"1905..." whispered Ward, as he cleared the dust off of one of the crates.
"These supplies are probably worth their weight in gold. But even more important, they are a part of our history. And we are the first in over a century to see this place!" explained Dad. He then began taking pictures.
"Let's get back to the surface. I'm in the mood for a celebratory meal. In honor of your first official find." suggested Dad, quite happy with the results of the expedition.
"That sounds great! Was it a really important discovery?" he asked, curiously.
"Yes, especially the skeleton. You have just ensured that a family will receive their long lost relative back. There's no better find than that, is there?" he asked, smiling.
"I never thought of it like that!" Ward said happily, looking down at his first pair of hiking shoes, which had taken him on his very first adventure.
Cover image made in Canva using their gallery