What's the closest you have ever been to an animal in the wild that can literally kill you with one swipe? I know we've all been pretty close to them in the zoo or at the circus, but that doesn't really count. In those places there are safety precautions set up to protect the individuals gawking at the wild animals. Chains, fences, large concrete barriers, animal wranglers, and tranq guns. Admittedly, we all feel pretty safe around 400lb black bears when gazing at them from across a twenty foot high wall. How about ten feet away separated by a thin sheet of nylon and mesh?
After I spent a few days enjoying the city of Denver, eating from food trucks, driving past where the Broncos and the Rockies play, checking out local stock car races, and visiting with old friends, I headed south to stay a few nights under the stars at Eleven Mile Reservoir. Now, camping is no joke when you are managing it all alone. Apparently, even more when you are a young, single, white, female. According to everyone I met at the campground at least. What can I say, I'm a tough, hardheaded woman, who loves to be outside. Don't get me wrong, it is hard work and I would probably not want to do it like that everyday for the rest of my life. Well, I guess if I had a super comfy place to sleep every night, I probably wouldn't mind. I certainly prefer to have company out there, for sure. Which is where the neighbors come in. One of my favorite things about camping is the people you meet who share in the same love of the outdoors as you do. My camping neighbors, Gary and Irene, were very personable and inviting. I'm not sure their rottweiler, Happy, was as willing to accept me right away like they were. Though, we eventually got used to each other.
The sun drenched the grassy hills and sparkling lake in a blanket of fine gold as I set up my spot among the trees. I stopped several times just to take in the painting God was creating right before me. Unfortunately, it happened so fast that I couldn't get my camera out in time to capture it. Plus, I needed to be set up before dark and a picture would have done no justice to the real thing. I did bust out my camera after dinner, eggs and turkey bacon cooked on the fire, to get some shots of the many, many stars over head. The Milky Way was right over my site and I could follow if from one horizon to the other. More stars than I have ever seen in my life. I forget how magical it really is. As I was shooting toward the lake with the fire at my back, I heard something moving through the grass about fifteen feet in front of me. Quickly looking around, I saw the eyes of some kind of critter catch in the light of my head lamp as it ran past me. Immediately I grabbed my .22 revolver off the table and began searching with my light for the gleaming eyes in the grass and surrounding area. I don't know what I was going to do if it suddenly attacked, but I figured the sound of the gun may be enough to scare it away if it was dangerous. Slowly I turned to my left and there, on the a large bolder 20-feet away, stood a majestic, large, fluffy-tailed, copper-colored fox. I was stunned as we stared at one another for a split second until he gracefully jumped off the rock and streaked back to where he came from. Happy, the rottweiler, came to my defense and barked until the fox was out of sight. Something she would not do the following night.
Sleeping on the hard, rough earth is not as easy as I remember from when I was a kid. I guess this getting older thing really makes a difference. Needless to say I will be obtaining an air-mattress before my next outdoor slumber. Once the sleeping pill kicked in, I slept pretty well, staying warm in my sleeping bag protected from the 30 degree weather outside. Aside form my unexpected red-tailed visitor, the first night was pretty non-eventful. I awoke the next morning to a calm, clear day. Simply beautiful.
My second day camping at Eleven Mile was pretty chill. Not much to mention, really. When the darkness set in I was ready to call it a night and retire to my very firm resting place. I packed up all my food and stored it in my trunk, took the trash to the bear-safe trash containers, and climbed into my nylon and mesh shelter. I can't really explain this feeling I had, except to say my spidey senses were tingling. Hyper aware of every noise and smallest sound around me, I laid in my tent waiting for sleep to come. It finally did, until...
Footsteps. Light, but deliberate, footsteps walking right next to my tent. Grass and sticks crunching under each step. I lay there listening hard, trying to determine what kind of creature would make footsteps that sounded like the ones right outside my tent. Chanting in my head, "it's a deer, it's a deer." Then I heard it breathing. Heavy, deep breaths. I knew it, there was no more denying that less than ten feet away, separated by a thin layer of nylon, was a wild, large, black bear. I didn't move. There was no way I was going to do anything to attract any attention to my tent. Sure enough, it confirmed it's presence by looting my neighbors bins searching for a snack. Just when it reached the brand new bag of Doritos, my neighbors woke up, unzipped their tent, and confirmed again that it was indeed a bear. My heart was pounding. I reached over and as silently as I could, even though my neighbors made enough noise at this point there's no way I would have been noticed, grabbed my little .22 revolver. C'mon, I know my little gun is not going to stop a 400lb bear, but I thought maybe the noise alone would be enough to scare it away. Once, I heard the bag of Doritos walking off in the mouth of our newest visitor, I put on a hoodie, grabbed my flashlight, and got out of my tent. I had to see it. I mean how many times is this going to happen. I needed to know it was real. As I emerged from my so-called shelter, I saw Gary and Irene standing in their campsite trying to figure out what he took. I scanned the surrounding landscape with my light and spotted our ":little" friend about 100 yards away enjoying his newest score. We stood there and watched him finish off the bag and saunter off back into the veil of trees and darkness. Happy missed the whole thing. No protective bark this time. We proceeded to trip out on the experience, blown away at what just happened. Then Gary and Irene got in their truck to warm up and I crawled back into my tent hoping for a few more hours of sleep as the dawn started to break over the horizon. I hung my head in prayer, thanking God for His mighty hand of protection that fell on all of us that night.
I packed up camp that day, knowing it was foolish for me to stay there one more night alone. My neighbors were leaving and I would have been the only one in that area to host another visit from the friendly neighborhood bear. The rangers later told us that that bear had made an appearance in that area for the past six weeks. Irene also found a stash of garbage from our bear. Trophies from his latest heists. My heart still races every time I recall the sound his footsteps made so close to my head, but, most of all, his deep breaths in the cold night air. Truly, an experience I will never forget. I thank the Lord for protecting me and my neighbors that night. He always has my back and, like I said before, answering prayers in ways I'll never know. That night, I knew.
See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.
Isaiah 12:2
For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.
Psalm 91:11
