I was taking a hike one day, running happily along Chenango Valley State Park trail. I must have been making so much noise, because I drew the attention of a huge bear. I was so scared I didn’t know what to do! I was about to go with my instinct and run, but then I remembered reading somewhere that I should make myself look big. I tried that, but the bear didn’t seem like he was buying it. So I ran, which probably wasn’t a wise idea because bears can easily out-run humans. I ran off the trail and wove through trees. My heart was pounding through my chest!
The bear was getting close and I didn’t know what to do, so I went with my instinct and hid behind a tree. From my hiding spot I heard the bear huff. I peaked out and saw him wandering off in a confused manner. He probably realized he would be better off searching for a bee hive and some honey – because it would definitely taste better than me! Especially since my underwear wasn’t so clean after our unexpected encounter!
I lost the bear, but I didn’t know where I was. I looked all around me, but there was no sign of civilization in sight. I started to panic! “I wish I didn’t leave the compass my dad gave me, at home!”, I yelled out loud.
That would have helped me find my way home.
After I calmed down a little bit, I decided to try to make myself a shelter. I looked in my backpack for something useful. I found some snacks, my notebook, and a shovel. I decided to save the snacks for when I really needed them. I asked to myself, “What should I build? A tepee? A hut?” After a few minutes, I decided to just get out my shovel and dig a hole for shelter. I didn’t plan to stay long, so I started digging. Progress was slow, but I was getting there.
Before I knew it, it was getting dark. I started hearing strange noises, so I crawled into my unfinished shelter. I pulled out a flashlight from my pocket and lit up my little hide-away hole. The battery would only last about 24 hours, so if I stayed longer than I planned to, I would have to learn how to make a fire. I curled up and went to sleep. I woke up to the sound of my dad rescuing me! I was so relieved! He had a GPS tagging unit on me – and he had no trouble finding me! Geek dads are GREAT!
