[Comment below]: --- In [email protected], "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@...> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "marekreavis" <reavismarek@> wrote: > > > > The first Time I went solo backpacking was in Death Valley. The first night > > out I set up my tidy little camp, prepared a nice dinner and enjoyed it as > > the sun went down. Afterwards I went into my tent (I used to backpack with > > a tent in the old days but for many years now I only use a tarp and bivy > > sack) and read a little bit before finally turning off my headlamp and > > going to sleep. > > > > Only I didn't go to sleep, at least not at first. Almost as soon as I lay > > down in the absolute darkness, miles away from anyone or anything I knew > > (this was my first trip to Death Valley) I was overwhelmed with fear -- > > pure terror that had me shaking in my sleeping bag like a terrified > > chihuahua. Real paroxysms that lasted maybe 15-20 minutes and all I could > > do was experience it. There wasn't any relief to be had because I was all > > alone and in the desert. > > > > It was the first time I'd really dealt with all my fears of the dark and > > loneliness and weakness. But when it passed, there was some big knot I had > > been carrying my whole life that passed away with it. It was a real > > inspiration for other, similar backpacking trips that I came to understand > > as personal vision quests. > > Wow, the angst doesn't surprise me though. I mean Death Valley! > Name kind of does it for me on it's own. I love the idea of sudden > realisation though, all those primal instincts coming out when it sinks in > deep down that you can't just switch on a light and nip > to the bathroom. > > I've been there, in a desert at night, all quite, the fire dying > down, just feeling sleepy and a pack of wolves set off a major > howl in the distance. Blood ran cold, the works. Even though I > "knew" wolves were very unlikely to attack I climbed a cliff and slept in a > cave I found at the top. A night well spent, no vision > just a knowledge of connection to a wildness in all of us. > SNIP
Desert wolves, hidden in the shadows of the night and howling as the campfire dies down. Oooh, great stuff for the psyche! The only animals I've seen in the desert were scorpions, coyotes, snakes and ravens, though I once found a perfect bear print near the Eureka Sand Dunes in Death Valley. I hadn't known that bears could be found in the desert. The only times I've actually come face to face with large animals in the wilderness, other than deer, was when I was all alone. It always felt like I'd been granted a boon or a blessing. Animal darshan.
