Following my intuition
I stopped in a campground in Shenandoah National Park Monday evening, my first attempt at camping since the bear incident. All my instincts were saying “no, no, NO” when I got to the campground. It was dark, there was a huge “This is bear country” sign at the entrance, and the Deliverance guy sitting in the campground across from me was belching huge beer burps. So I packed all my stuff back in the saddlebags (I had not yet set up the tent), and went to a hotel. The owner of the hotel told me that they’ve had a lot of bear problems in the area, and when I unpacked my food and camping supplies bag, I found that one of my instant cinnamon oatmeal packets had ripped. I was broadcasting sweet smells for every animal in the area. It was a little depressing sitting in a hotel in the middle of nowhere, especially after leaving New York and all the people I met there, but I’m glad I followed my intuition. I’ll take loneliness over the company of a bear in my campsite every single time. I’ll go camping again once I’ve had a chance to clean and air out all my stuff.