To save her Daddy’s life

“You can see the problem, this storm out over the ocean,” the air traffic controller pointed to the weather map on his computer screen. Jim nodded, he could see the tight lines of the isobars indicating the deep depression and the arrows indicating high winds.
“The weather office reckons the storm will be here in about three hours. Down here at the airport it will be minus ten and wind gusts up to 50mph. Up in the mountains minus 40 and gusts over 80. It’ll be with us for about three days. Maybe three feet of snow”

Jim cursed. This was supposed to be his farewell treat for his daughter Vicki. She had just left school and had won a scholarship to a overseas university. He had intended to take her on a mountain safari in his plane.
A few years earlier he had quit his city job to return to the mountains he loved. He had used the sale proceeds from his house to buy an elderly single engined Cessna. He specialized in flying tourists around the mountains on hunting and fishing trips, off trail skiing in winter and general sight-seeing.

Early on he realized he was working for his insurance company, his bank, aircraft maintenance companies and the government. His net income just about covered his living costs in a good year.
This didn’t concern him; he was in the mountains he loved, the safaris kept him fit and lean, he met a lot of different people, a few were difficult but most shared his thrill of being in the mountains.

“Don’t worry Daddy,” his daughter gave him a hug. “We there are lots of other things we can do.”

He looked her. 17 years old, an elegant, confident young woman, but he could still see traces of child he had known all these years. He had fallen in love with her the first time he held her after she was born and their bond had grown ever since.

He had divorced her mother after 10 years of increasing acrimony, but Vicki bore a strong resemblance to the stunning beauty he had married 20 years ago. Her mother’s long elegant legs and slim figure, but Vicki’s wavy dark hair, flowing six inches below her shoulders showed some of her father’s influence.

At the small mountain airport there was no sign of the approaching storm. It was a brilliant, warm early autumn day, not a cloud in the sky and almost no wind. Vicki was wearing a light skirt and blouse while Jim was in a shirt and shorts.

Joe, the air traffic controller controller saw the look of disappointment in her face.
“Look Jim, you could do a quick trip to the glacier.40 minutes each way, 20 minutes for a walk around, you would have well over an hour’s safety margin.”
Jim was very safety conscious and didn’t like risk. But he saw the gleam of excitement in Vicki’s face. “What the heck,” he thought, “I won’t be seeing her for more than a year.”

They took off. The elderly Cessna had skis fitted for landing on the glacier and had been checked by the air mechanic overnight. Jim had been worried by some occasional slight misfires in the engine.
“Injectors mate,” said the mechanic who Jim hadn’t met before.”I fixed them so you’ll be fine.”

The Cessna climbed quickly and the brilliant panorama opened out. Below were bright blue mountain lakes, ahead the high peaks of the main divide. The sky was still clear and the sun glinted off the snow on the higher peaks.
They flew up the glacial valley. The mighty river of ice had hewn out out its valley over countless millennia. The steep rocky walls of the moraine towered on either side. At its widest the glacial walls were over half a mile apart. As it inched down its 12 mile length the glacial surface varied. In steeper places there were jumbles of ice and dark blue crevasses could be seen, but in other places it was almost flat. A light covering of powder snow from the first falls of the season gleamed in the sun.

Jim landed on the highest flat area of snow covered ice.
They got out, felt the warmth from the sun and felt exhilarated by the pristine landscape which they had to themselves.
“Watch out Daddy,” Vicki shrieked as his back was turned. Too late, the snowball hit him in the back. The cold snow penetrated the thin shirt he was wearing.
“This is so lovely,” Vicki walked over to him and put her arms around her father’s neck.”I’m going to miss all our times in the mountains together.”

“And I’m going to miss you so much Daddy.” She hugged him tightly.
He put his arms around her shoulders, felt the tears welling in his eyes and couldn’t say anything for a minute as they held each other.
“Come on madam, time to get out you of here.” He smacked her on the bottom. “That will teach you to throw snowballs.”

They took off and headed to the main ridge 2000 feet feet above. Once there they could see the enormous black clouds of the approaching storm over the ocean. Jim banked the plane into a turn and headed for the airport.

“Shit,” he thought, he noticed that same misfire. Vicki without his ear for the engine didn’t notice. But she did notice when the engine cut out completely for a few seconds before spluttering into life.

“Daddy what is it?” Her eyes were wide with fright.
“Injectors. That fucking mechanic.” cursed Jim.
A minute later, another cut out. Jim’s mind was made up. He couldn’t risk the 40 minute flight, he would have to land on the glacier.

“Joe,” he called on the radio to air traffic control, “I’ve got an injector problem, I’m putting us down on the glacier. Can you get David to come and pick us up.” David was the only other pilot at the small airport qualified to land on the glacier.

Joe shut his eyes in anguish.”Jim, David’s gone fishing. We couldn’t get him here inside two hours and by then we’ll be snowed in. We won’t be able to get you out until the storm’s over in three days”
Jim stroked Vicki’s knee. “Looks like a boring three days with your old man.”
“OK Joe, we’ll be fine. I’ve got the tent, sleeping bags and enough food and fuel for a week.”

Vicki was very anxious, but felt a little better knowing they had put the provisions for their trip in the plane the day before.
“Sweetheart, we will have a bit over an hour before the storm. We’ll be busy.”
“I love you Daddy, I know I’ll be safe with you,” giving him a hug and a tender kiss on the cheek.

There were a couple more misfires before he landed on almost the same spot as they had been half an hour before. They would have to take their chances out on the glacier. The valley walls were too steep for a tent.
They set to work with urgency. Although there were no sight of the storm clouds which were still hidden by the ridge, the wind was starting to pick up and the temperature was dropping.
Jim took a spade and started to clear the loose powder snow on an area about fifty yards from the Cessna which he had tethered to the ice.

Vicki unloaded their supplies from the plane. They each had a parka, not snow parkas but at least they protected a bit from the wind. But their legs were bare.
After 15 minutes Jim had cleared an area down to the hard packed snow and Vicki erected the tent. It was a dual cover dome and she easily set it up as she had done so many times before. The tent was designed for Antarctic blizzards and both were confident that it was up to the task.

As Vicki put their supplies into the tent Jim piled snow into a rampart on the windward side, packing it as he did so. This was to provide some shelter for the tent from the icy blasts that were coming.
As soon as she had finished putting everything inside and setting up their sleeping bags Vicki picked up the other spade and joined her father. The first of the storm clouds could just be seen over the ridge. The wind was picking up and lifting powder snow from the ground.

Frantically they both dug. It suddenly became darker as the clouds covered the sun. “Ten minutes,” thought Jim. He could see Vicki was feeling the cold and told her to go inside and make some soup.
It started to snow, the flakes coming almost horizontally in the strengthening wind. Jim was starting to shiver. The rampart was better than he thought they would be able to achieve, about three feet high, more than twice as wide at the base.

The height in the center of the dome tent was five feet and he had to stoop as he stood. Vicki had set up the two sleeping bags side by side, each on a foam plastic mattress. She was in her sleeping bag as she tended the soup on the burner she had placed on the ground behind her head.

The circulation was back in her feet. She had heated some water and bathed them with a flannel for a couple of minutes then wrapped them in half of the blanket before going into her bag.

“You look so cold.”
He took off his parka and lay on her sleeping bag as she put her arms around him in a bear hug. Then she showered his face with soft kisses.
“I’m so glad I’m here with you.”
Then she bathed his feet with hot water to bring back the circulation.
“That’s better,” she giggled as she kissed each foot. “Your feet are so ugly.”
He wrapped his feet in his half of the blanket and wriggled into his sleeping bag.

With the soup and their sleeping bags they both started to warm up.
“This is so snug. Did I do a good job setting up the tent?”
“You did wonderfully, Princess.” He stroked the side of her face. She held his hand there, then kissed it.
“This is so exciting.”

But Jim was gravely concerned. First he cursed himself for placing his daughter at such risk. Then he was worried about the cold. The storm had hardly started and the temperature would drop a lot more. Particularly at night.
The tent was fine. It was hardly moving in the strong wind. If they had true alpine sleeping bags and thermal clothes they would be OK. But they only had their thin summer clothes and his sleeping bags were designed for lower altitudes where he always camped.

“If I’m going to be here three days, I don’t want this digging into me. No peeking.” Vicki sat up, turning her back to her father. She took off her blouse then her bra. Jim saw her beautifully straight back and just a hint of the side of her breast. She put her blouse back on, but when she turned to face him, Jim could see the outline of her nipples.
He didn’t know what to say.

Vicki never traveled anywhere without a book..
“Could you read this to me, the way you used to read when I was little.”
So he started to read. At first she cuddled up beside him, her arm across his chest. But after ten minutes she felt the cold on her arm and snuggled back into her sleeping bag.

Jim kept reading, but after an hour or so, he started to feel the chill.
“I’m starting to feel cold. Will it get much colder?”
“I’m afraid so, sweetheart. It’s time for Plan B.”
“What’s Plan B?”
“You’ll have to share a sleeping bag with your grumpy old Dad.” He looked to see her reaction, hoping she wouldn’t be shocked.

But her face lit up. “Oh that’ll be just like when I used to snuggle in bed with you and Mummy.”
That was 10 years ago. Now she was an elegantly beautiful young woman. They had always been “touchy”in a fond, affectionate non-sexual way. They would hug tightly when they met, kiss each other’s hair and cheeks and sometimes an affectionate pat. But these were fleeting moments, now he was facing three days of constant contact. However, it was into one sleeping bag or freeze.

Quickly he rearranged things. He took her foam mattress to add to the insulation on the floor. Fortunately his sleeping bag was a one and a half size. Some of his tourists needed that and more.

Vicki was shivering by the time she wriggled in beside him. There wasn’t much room and he was aware of she shape of her body against him. She snuggled right down into the sleeping bag, her head on his chest, her arms around him, his around her.
He was very aware of her breath on his chest, of her firm bra-less breasts against his stomach, her bare legs against his.

“My legs are cold Daddy.” So he parted his legs and she slid one of hers between his. He realized that in her wriggling, her skirt had been pushed up to her waist.

He felt a warmth in his loins and a stirring of his penis as he stroked and kissed her hair.
“No, this is my daughter for heaven’s sake.” He forced himself to think of his last unfriendly meeting with his unfriendly bank manager. It didn’t solve the problem but it stopped it from getting worse for a while.

Gradually her shivering stopped and she wriggled back up the sleeping bag.