Timecachers by Glenn R. Petrucci Page B

waypoints would let them test the LANav against their regular GPS receivers.
    From Blue Ridge, they looped around a few country roads to reach Old Route 2, where they could pick up a forest road to a parking spot at the trailhead. The trail was about a six mile hike along Mountaintown Creek, a small trout stream that ran through a mountain gorge. It would be an easy, pleasant hike for them to get started, and there were roads at both ends of the gorge.
    Tom had studied the area using satellite maps, and noted the steep terrain on both sides of the creek could offer a challenge to GPS reception. James Adair, the outfitter, had hiked the trail often and confirmed there were many spots along the creek that were tough for the receivers to pick up a satellite signal. James also acknowledged that it was a beautiful spot for a hike in the spring; a noteworthy benefit in Adam’s opinion.
    The big Suburban crunched to a stop at the tiny pull-off next to the trailhead. A small trail marker was clearly visible from the road, although later in the season, as the vegetation flourished, it would be much more difficult to see.
    They had risen early, and with only a single cup of coffee, most of the ride was spent dozing or silently contemplating the testing scenario they would soon be executing. Sal made a few cracks about hearing banjo music and chiding Tom with some off-color remarks about hillbilly inbreeding, which Tom ignored. When Sal looked in Alice’s direction, one stabbing glance from her fierce azure eyes was all it took for him to reconsider whatever taunt he intended to cast her way.
    They would be taking only daypacks, large enough to carry everything they needed for a single night camping. They brought along two small tents, but if the weather stayed as it was there would be little need for them; their mid-weight sleeping bags would keep them warm enough for a night under the stars. It was already late morning by the time they arrived, after making the stop at Blue Ridge and finding their way along the unfamiliar back roads to the trailhead.
    With the vehicle securely off the road, the team disembarked the barge-sized SUV, grabbed their gear, and spent a few moments taking in the quiet majesty of the forest before setting off down the white blazed trail. Each person had their own handheld GPS receiver, and they all habitually punched in a waypoint, marking the location of the vehicle. Adam slipped the TSO LANav from the protective belt-clipped case he had fashioned. He switched it on, and keyed in the selection for TERRESTRIAL NAVIGATION MODE. A secondary screen displayed immediately, and he punched the STORE PRESENT LOCATION soft-key on the menu. The unit responded with a soft confirmation chirp and he slipped the device back into its case.
    Adam worried that the magnificent surroundings would make it difficult to stick to business, and then a moment later remembered that one of his reasons for taking this project was to have a little fun while they worked. He got into his walking pace, relishing the familiar comfort of his sturdy hiking boots as he made his way along the trail’s uneven terrain. The damp, fragrant forest worked its magic, easing his mind into the serenity his feet had already found. The tranquility of the woodland trail enveloped the members of the team and each fell into their own meditative stride, a Zen-like nirvana which can only be reached by hikers traversing a glorious mountain trail.
    They continued quietly along the trail for about a half-mile until they reached their first stream crossing. It was an easy spot to cross, with conveniently placed flat-topped rocks for stepping stones. At the other side of the stream, Tom checked his GPSr, comparing their current location with a list of waypoints he loaded in before they began the hike. They had been gently descending into the gorge as they walked, gradually curving around the higher mountain to their right.
    “We are now at the first waypoint that