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Back in 2008 I traveled with my dad to california. We had spent our whole spring and summer traveling the state top to bottom.
We wanted to find a primitave campground to stay at while we were in northern california. After I we had done some searching we decided to make our way to Deadlun Campground in Shasta County, this place was way out in the middle of nowhere. The remoteness seemed to add to the beauty. Upon arrival there was a huge sign at the entrance that warned about multiple bear sightings on the grounds. Also posters that demonstrated how to keep bears away and how to respond if you would come face to face with one of these beasts.
We were totally roughing it. Our supplies consisted of a cooler, enough food to stretch out for a week or so, hygiene products, and our sleeping bags. No tent, no guns, no cellphones; not that I think we could have got reception anyway, not nearly enough water to last even a few days. We ended up boiling water that we got from the lake for drinking.
There was evidence of bears all around the campsites: prints, dung, flattened brush. We were sleeping under the stars, was I afraid of the bears? I would say it wasn't fear, it was more excitement than anything. I knew God had us covered. At night while sitting around the fire, you could hear branches breaking and bears snorting, it really was a trip! One night I had awaken to what felt like something standing over me and breathing on me. I didn't think much of it and just pulled my sleeping bag over my head and fell back to sleep. The next morning we rose to see bear prints and bear dung spread throughout our site. We had bears dwelling within ten feet of our camp! I was then almost certain that I had a bear checkin me out when I woke up during the night.
While on this trip we also shared our breakfast with some deer. We were eating oatmeal and drinking coffee when a group of does approached us and started munching on some vegetation just about eight feet away from us. This was an outing that I will never forget, it was a spiritual experience to say the least. Just God, His beautiful creation, my dad, myself and no distractions.
I've also had encounters with coyotes other times while sleeping out under the stars, but thats part of a whole other story..............
We wanted to find a primitave campground to stay at while we were in northern california. After I we had done some searching we decided to make our way to Deadlun Campground in Shasta County, this place was way out in the middle of nowhere. The remoteness seemed to add to the beauty. Upon arrival there was a huge sign at the entrance that warned about multiple bear sightings on the grounds. Also posters that demonstrated how to keep bears away and how to respond if you would come face to face with one of these beasts.
We were totally roughing it. Our supplies consisted of a cooler, enough food to stretch out for a week or so, hygiene products, and our sleeping bags. No tent, no guns, no cellphones; not that I think we could have got reception anyway, not nearly enough water to last even a few days. We ended up boiling water that we got from the lake for drinking.
There was evidence of bears all around the campsites: prints, dung, flattened brush. We were sleeping under the stars, was I afraid of the bears? I would say it wasn't fear, it was more excitement than anything. I knew God had us covered. At night while sitting around the fire, you could hear branches breaking and bears snorting, it really was a trip! One night I had awaken to what felt like something standing over me and breathing on me. I didn't think much of it and just pulled my sleeping bag over my head and fell back to sleep. The next morning we rose to see bear prints and bear dung spread throughout our site. We had bears dwelling within ten feet of our camp! I was then almost certain that I had a bear checkin me out when I woke up during the night.
While on this trip we also shared our breakfast with some deer. We were eating oatmeal and drinking coffee when a group of does approached us and started munching on some vegetation just about eight feet away from us. This was an outing that I will never forget, it was a spiritual experience to say the least. Just God, His beautiful creation, my dad, myself and no distractions.
I've also had encounters with coyotes other times while sleeping out under the stars, but thats part of a whole other story..............
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