Got to go camping again, for the 4th time this year. It’s been rough with the pandemic. First we were told not to go to the State Parks because people flocked there, and due to personal issues last year I did not get out once in the entire summer.
The inside of a tent can be a lonely place…
I camped at Silver Falls State park, and though it is only about an hour and a half drive, traffic was heavy and I did not get there until about an hour before sundown. I decided I wanted to do a small hike to the falls, and a nice ranger told me the darkness there comes quickly, and I should be carful. He was not wrong, the terrain made what would usually be a transition to dusk from dark very sudden. I found myself in darkness I did not anticipate. I got lost trying to find my way back to the trail that led to the campground and had to walk along highway 213 to get back.
It had just rained that day and the air was moist. My flashlight was barely adequate, and I must admit I as having trouble seeing in the dark. My glasses fogged up and I had a Blair Witch moment when my light showed several pairs of eyes looking at me in the darkness. I creeped up, curious who was looking at me, and I saw 3 deer just chilling out under a tree. I wish I had a lens on my camera fast enough to capture the sight!