The one (and only) time Holly was a fierce camper…

Once upon a summer in 1988 there were two camp counselors in Kansas… Laura (left) was the camp’s horse wrangler. Holly (right) taught water skiing and sailing. Despite the fact that Laura didn’t ski or sail and Holly was allergic to horses the two found common ground. The common ground was that they both dated the same boy at the same time. But I will save that story for another time. Let’s just say that they were really good friends despite the obstacles. When you are 18 years old and good friends, separation is not an option. So after camp concluded, Laura joined Holly on her family’s vacation in Oregon. Holly’s family was vacationing at a relative’s A-frame cabin that sat above a glacier-fed lake (brrrrrr…). Now Laura and Holly were fierce campers. They had just survived the entire summer living in camp cabins without air conditioning. This whole family vacation thing was very tame. They decided about 1 hour before sunset that they should have a backpacking adventure up the steep hill behind the A-frame cabin. Let’s get packed! Holly’s dad helped them pack. Thanks Holly’s dad! Let’s go! Oh wait…they forgot some essential items. Let’s go! Oh wait! A deeply concerned and caring relative of Holly’s insisted that they take some items for their backpacking protection. Holly and Laura tried to insist they were fierce campers and didn’t take the backpacking protection items, but the deeply concerned and caring relative insisted. And since the deeply concerned and caring relative owned the A-frame cabin his vote ruled. The cow bell was to ring if they were in peril. The huge scary knife…well, the girls really didn’t want to know what the huge scary knife was for. Let’s go! Why do the girls look so dark climbing the steep hill behind the A-frame cabin? Oh, it took approximately one hour to get packed so darkness is approaching. The steep hill is very steep. The very definition of steep hill implies that there are no camping-friendly flat spots to make a campsite. The very definition of steep was right. The fierce campers think, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore“. The fierce campers also think they better find a place to camp ASAP because it is almost pitch black. Look for it. Look for it. Yeah! A small flat area of about 2 feet width is spotted. The fierce campers think that they can use the two foot wide flat area to set up their sleeping bags as if they were in a recliner chair. No roughing it here! The fierce campers were patting themselves on the back and admiring their handy fierce camping skills when darkness fell. Deep darkness. The deep darkness was only interrupted by the crashing. Loud crashing. Who doesn’t enjoy deep darkness interrupted by loud crashing? Oh, that would be the girls, the fierce campers. After awhile they settled into the deep darkness… interrupted by loud crashing rhythm. The fierce campers decided that due to deep pride involving fierce camping skills, neither would ring the cow bell or wield the huge scary knife. They had fierce camper pride. After this decision they ate all the Oreos and drank all the milk in the deep darkness interrupted by loud crashing. With tummies full of milk and cookies they went to sleep. They were awaken by their simultaneous screams. They retold their simultaneous dreams. They spent the rest of the night awake huddled in the deep darkness listening to the interruption of loud crashing while simultaneously clutching the cow bell and the huge scary knife. As the sun rose, the not sofierce campers gathered up their fierce camper campsite. They then noticed that the flat spot they had chosen continued up (and down) the mountain like a trail. A deer trail. And to this day the deer of the steep hill behind the A-frame cabin on the glacier-fed lake (brrrr…) tell the tale of the night when the deep darkness was interrupted by the screaming of fierce campers.