Basecamp Dispatch: Looking for Lions
My weekly check-in from the woods, the homestead, or somewhere else with spotty cell service
I’m later than usual with this week’s dispatch.
The reason is simple: I’m writing from the road.
Every summer I get hit with a bad case of wanderlust. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s the long days. Whatever causes it, there comes a point when the walls start to feel a little too close. Sometimes the best cure is a few nights in a tent.
Last week, that urge took me to Medoc Mountain State Park with my granddaughter. We balanced on logs, threw rocks in the creek, and laughed at the splash they made. On the trail, I told her that if she stayed quiet we might see animals. She tried her best, which for a two-year-old is still pretty loud.
A little later, my husband spotted a toad on the trail.
“Pop found an animal,” I told her.
She looked up hopefully and said, “I wonder if it’s a lion.”
A few days later, though, I was at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in East Lake, NC, looking at some of the biggest black bears on the planet (I promise I’m not exaggerating. The area has extensive wetlands, mild winters, and a year-round, high-protein agricultural diet. That’s the trifecta for growing big bruins).
Now I’m somewhere between adventures. Last night was a primitive campground in Shenandoah. Tonight it’s a KOA near Cleveland.
I’ll have more stories when I get home. For now, consider this a postcard from the road.
Wherever you are this week, I hope you find a reason to get outside.
Where Else I Was This Week
How to Catch More Bluegill Without A Bobber (MeatEater)
Bank Fishing for Bass Isn’t a Backup Plan (MeatEater)
You Should Change Your Fishing Line More Often (MeatEater)