The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [37]
Wooded areas were rare during the Ice Age. The edge of the glaciers that covered a quarter of the earth’s surface were not very far to the north, and created conditions of permafrost in the nearby periglacial regions. In the summer the top layer melted to various depths, depending on conditions. In cool, shaded areas with heavy moss or other insulative vegetation, the ground melted only a few inches, but where the land was exposed to direct sunlight, it softened more, enough to allow an abundant grass cover.
For the most part, conditions did not favor the growth of trees with their deeper root systems, except in certain locations. In places that were protected from the coldest winds and the hardest frosts, several feet of topsoil might be thawed, enough for trees to take root. Gallery forests often sprung up alongside the water-saturated edges of rivers.
Wood River Valley was one of those exceptions. It had a relative abundance of both coniferous and deciduous trees and brush, including varieties of fruit and nut trees. It was an amazingly rich resource that provided a wealth of materials, especially firewood, for those who lived near enough to benefit, but it wasn’t a dense forest. It was more like a narrow valley parkland with open clearings of meadows and lovely glades between heavier wooded patches.
The large band traveled northwest through Wood River Valley for about six miles of gentle upgrade, a very pleasant beginning of the trek. At a tributary that cascaded down a hillside on the left, Manvelar stopped. It was time for a rest and to let some of the stragglers catch up. Most people built small fires to make tea; parents fed children and snacked on traveling food, dried strips of meat or pieces of fruit or nuts saved from the previous year’s harvest. A few ate some of the special traveling cakes that nearly everyone had, a mixture of dried meat ground fine, dried berries or small chunks of other fruit, and fat, shaped into patties or cakes and wrapped in edible leaves. They were filling, high-energy food but they took some effort to prepare and most people saved them for later when they wanted to cover long distances quickly or were stalking game and didn’t want to start a fire.
“This is where we turn,” Manvelar said. “From now on, if we just continue due west, when we reach West River, we should be close to the Twenty-sixth Cave and the floodplain, which is where the Summer Meeting will be held.” He was sitting with Joharran and several others. They looked at the hills rising up on the west bank and the tumultuous tributary tumbling down the slope.
“Should we camp here tonight?” Joharran asked, then looked up at the sun to check its path across the sky. “It’s a little early, but we got off to a late start this morning, and that looks like a hard climb. We might be able to handle it better after a good night’s rest.” He feared it might be hard for some.
“Only for the next few miles, then it levels out on higher ground, more or less,” Manvelar said. “I usually try to make the climb first, then stop and set up camp for the night.”
“You’re probably right,” Joharran said. “It’s better to have this behind us and start out fresh in the morning, but some people may find this climb more difficult than others.” He looked hard at his brother, then flicked his eyes toward their mother, who had just arrived, and seemed grateful to sit and rest. He had noticed that she seemed to be having a harder time than usual.
Jondalar caught the silent signal, and turned toward Ayla. “Why don’t we stay back and bring up the rear, and direct any stragglers who may have fallen behind.” He motioned