[h2][center][color=00a651]Central Pavilion --> Hiking Trail[/color][/center][/h2]
[h2][center][color=00a651]10:45 a.m.[/color][/center][/h2]

Dr. Nichols frowned as he glanced between his watch and the couple in front of him.

"I'm sorry, we don't have enough time now for a whole cup- excuse me-"

The researcher left with an apologetic look and stood on top of a wooden table.

"May I have everyone's attention please?" Dr. Nichols shouted from his perch. "A few things before we start our hiking and zip line excursion. Don't forget that this [i]is[/i] a wild forest. We will be staying on the marked paths. Leaving the paths could result in you getting lost or hurt, and that would be a big bummer. If you need to leave for any reason, use the buddy system and take the main paths. Remember to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. And most importantly, have fun!"

With that, the man hopped down from the bench. He and one of the blue-tagged volunteers began leading the conference-goers over to the trail, while two other volunteers stayed behind to bring up the rear. The group soon passed the signpost that marked an entrance to the main trail. Almost immediately, the trail was surrounded by tall thin trees, casting shadows on the ground and the faces of the campers. The path itself was covered in dusty gravel, which petered out into a section of bare damp earth as the group scaled down a small hill. The gravel returned as the path kept alternating between levels of civilization and wilderness. The trail was wide enough for about three people to walk together, though sometimes it narrowed through winding areas.

"Hello, America!" a strong masculine voice cut through the quiet wilderness. "This is John Jacob at the long-awaited SHARP conference. We are on a hike through these [i]beautiful[/i] woods at the Cypress View Retreat Center. Let's see if we can find some interesting people to talk to. Who knows, we might even meet some plant-essenced people today!"

The peppy talk show host smiled brightly as he just about shoved his big microphone in one of the hiker's faces. A few meters behind John stood a big man with an almost equally big camera and a thin young woman who looked annoyed. A few hikers gave the camera crew a weird look before politely walking around the impromptu set.

"Hello there!" John Jacob addressed the random hiker. "What is your name? What are you looking forward to at this conference?"

Further back in the line, NatJack averted her eyes from the camera crew, decidedly NOT wanting to be any part of that. The redhead kept to herself, though she sent some thoughtful glances Connor's way from time to time.

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