Personal Backpacking Tales

Backpacking

Personal Tales

The Most Embarrassing Moment

Camped out on a mid-October night far back in the woods of Upper Michigan, Crazy John and I were plumb wore out. We'd been paddling all day, did a fair amount of hiking, then set up camp and cooked a fine backcountry meal. Watched the stars for a bit through the newly naked trees, then turned in before the frost gave us too much of a chill. Warm and toasty in our bags, packs down the middle of the tent in between us. John drifted off right away, as is his custom, while I laid there for a bit listening to the gentle sounds outside. I heard a rustling just outside the tent and perked up my ears, then heard the sound of something being drawn down the taut fabric of the tent just above my head. Geez! it was the door zipper being pulled down! Odd, that, but even worse when I saw the shaggy outline of that big ol' bruin getting ready to come through the door!

I went straight up in the air, over the packs in the middle (complete with zipped up mummy bag), and landed square on top of John... at which point I woke up. Very strange dream, that one! John, of course, laughed like crazy saying he didn't think anybody could move that fast, that far, while still in their sleeping bag! Bear phobia wins again.

Strangest Coincidence

Crazy John and I were out, again in the U.P., and spent the better part of a week doing the hike and canoe thing. John had his treasured Swiss Army knife that he'd carried since he was in high school a couple decades ago. He loved that knife and all the memories it carried with it. I needed a slim, pointy tool while cleaning up after breakfast and CJ volunteered the little ivory-like toothpick that slides down the side of the knife. I accomplished my task with it and put it down on our eatin' table. We finished breaking camp, got our gear all packed up and ready to leave... this being the last outing of the year - deep snows would be close behind our leaving. John asked if I still had his toothpick, I allowed as how I'd laid it on the table - didn't he pick it up? We searched high and low through the carpet of fallen leaves around where I'd left it to no avail. I'd have to see if I could find a replacement for it when we got back to civilization.

The following Spring we were out and about and happened by the same campsite. We set up camp, stayed the night, and while cooking breakfast the next morning I bent over and pushed some leaves out of the way. On the ground under the leaves there lay that long lost toothpick. Figure them odds!

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