[at-l] Hiking solo

[garyticknor@starpower.net (Gary Ticknor)]

> I generally camp in Shenandoah so I've seen a lot of bears, at all
> times of day and night.  They often make less noise than the deer.
> I wish they'd make more noise.  Having a bear sneak up on me scares
> the bejeezus out of me.  It's the reason I don't sleep in a tent
> anymore.  I'm all out of spare bejeezus to lose.

All but one bear I've ever seen have run like hell as soon as they saw me.
Admittedly, that one WAS in Shenandoah.

> For prey animals, deer are very loud IMO.  And clumsy.  I'm glad they
> came out with that reflective guyline.  It's not for me, it's for the
> deer.  Don't want 'em tripping over my tent again.  (If I used one.  Now
> they'd have to trip over my tarp's guyline.)

Which is just what happened to me one night near Jeremy's Run. Stupid Bambi tripped
right over the guyline. Scared me to death. Spent five minutes cussing her out. 3:00
AM, too.

> -amy in maryland

- Gary from Fairfax, neighbor