Private Property No Trespassing

"Here is the ridge we should be following!"
"But that goes in the wrong direction"
"Listen to me I have been out in the woods hundreds of times & never get lost, in fact I have never been lost in my life."
"I just don't feel like going in the wrong direction will get us there"
"Listen to me, this ridge may twist & turn it's way back to town, but it will get us there.
"I'm going this way!"
"Alright we'll go your way, we got food & water & sleeping bag's, what's it matter if we stay out her a few more days?"

"Hey! What's that?"
"What?"
"That up in the tree?"
"it's a......."
"It's a Volkswagen bug"

"Okay... What is a Volkswagen bug doing way up in that spruce?"
"I don't know but look over there on that hill"
"What?"
"In that tree, look up near the top"
"it's a......................"
"It's a god damned washing machine, thats what it is"

This discovery of stuff in the trees continued for hours this evening on the rim of the Grand Canyon. We found more large machinery like stoves, washers, dryers, washing machines, some from every era as well. There were washing machines with the hand cranked wringers on them. We found more small cars, a horse carriage, one tree laden over to bending down with silverware hand tied one at a time to the tree, tens of thousands of individual pieces of flatware. Dishes, Tools, One tree had over 30 ladders hanging from it. All of these items had been placed in the trees over decades, you could tell by the ones where parts of the trunk had grown around. Some were as clean as if they were erected yesterday.

Hours of amazed exploration later we found that we had wandered without direction viewing this wooded wonderland of dead modernity. Now we were not lost but knew we could not strike out until the moon or the sun rose, the blank cloudy sky afforded us no direction. We decided to find a clearing with no trees for things like buses, trains & aeroplanes to drop out of on our heads while we slept.

We found a clearing but it was already occupied by a barracks style army tent. A very large one. This could hold at least 80-100 soldiers & their gear. There was a glow from the middle section of the tent. Not wanting to surprise the tenant we called out from a distance. The camo clad figure came out of the tent looking like something out of apocalypse now. He waved us in, as we got close we noticed the shotgun & he saw us hesitate. "This n's for the damned rodents, don't you worry"

He invited us in to stay over in the barracks, exclaiming "plenty of room". As my eyes adjusted to the light, he wasn't kidding. There was nothing in the tent but one dresser, one army cot, a generator powering one bare 60 watt & a full size 1950's refrigerator, out of which he extracted 3 Budweiser long necks that he proceeded to open with his machete that was hanging on his side. I was grateful for the beer but was wondering why he kept all his stuff in the trees but nothing in his tent? I was hesitant but had to ask. "What's with all the stuff in the trees?"
"Them damned rodents keep getting in here I have to keep stuff up so as not to create nesting places, They is still getting in here regular no matter what I do"
"How far does the trees with stuff hanging in them go?"
"My daddy left me these 300 acres & the national park's been trying to get em from me every since. I can't leave or someone from the government is sure to slide in & stake claim to it"

His eyes went wild, he motioned for us to be quiet, I went to take a sip of beer he grabbed my arm not wanting even a swig of beer to give away our position to whatever it was he heard. I then heard it, under the fridge, a rustling. Out popped the head of the largest rodent I have ever seen, he was not kidding. He Screamed as he charged the refrigerator, blasting holes in the refrigerator & about 20 feet of tent all around. The rodent was not hit & tore off through a hole in the tent just opened by a shotgun blast. The rodent was gone but the screaming & shooting did not stop. He ran off thorough the other section of the barracks blasting holes left & right while screaming like a madman. We grabbed our packs and some more of his beers through the holes in the fridge & let out like bad out of hell.

"Follow me!"
"Are you sure that's the right way?"
"Shut the fuck up & follow me!"
"We were headed that way"
"I told you earlier that is the wrong way, we're going back to the ridge that will take us home."