She: Isn’t it great to leave the city at the crack of dawn?
He: Yeah! Sometimes I wonder if all the walking I do in the city is actually detrimental to my health. You know, all that gray air…

(two hours later)
He: Now I realize how rarely we see so many trees.
She: And no ski slopes carved into the mountainsides.
He: Personally, it’s the clear little rivers I like.
She: The gleam of the sunlight bouncing off the wet rocks.
He: I think the people around here have it right. How can we stand living in the city?
She: I know. I really should stop talking about telecommuting and do it. From here.

(minutes later)
She: The first few miles of the hike are flat. Let’s try to get them done as quickly as possible, so we can spend more time on the summit.

(two and a half hours later)
He: Is this another bogus summit?
She: No, this is it. Break out the sandwiches.
He: It’s been getting quite challenging at the end there, eh?
She: That last mile and a half was tough.

(one hour later)
He: My goddamn feet are covered in blisters! How much longer do we have to go?
She: Don’t complain about your feet and I won’t bitch about my knee. Ah, there’s the lake. Five miles and we’re done.
He: Five miles?!
She: Don’t remind me.
He: We should have brought bug juice.
(wet glorpy sound)
She: Crap! Knee-deep mud again!
He: Ow. Ow. Ow.

(three miles later)
He: Ow. Ow. Ow.
She: The last two are the easiest, but I’m totally wrecked.
He: I dream of seeing the parking lot.
She: The gleam of sunlight bouncing off the shiny cars.
He: Taking off these boots will be rapture.
She: Parking lot! Am I dreaming?

(one hour later)
She: Keep me talking until I can buy coffee at a dep somewhere.
He: There are no stores for miles! How can these people stand it?
She: I can’t wait to be in my bath.
He: Being clean. Watching cable.

(one hour later)
She: Home at last.
He: Isn’t the city gorgeous?