Sunday, July 10, 2022

Waking up on a zero means finding the best spot for fresh breakfast. We chose a nearby diner called Ernie's. Non-ironically the other option was Bert's. After breakfast we stopped for coffee and smoothies before handling our resupply needs. Back at the campground before noon there was plenty of time to do laundry and still take the rest of the day easy. As I was putting my head down for a nap Benji called letting me know he had arrived. Even still we lounged around the campground for a good while before heading out for some food and other small supplies. After returning to camp I noticed my bear can feet from where I had placed it, dirty and scratched. Clearly the bears had stopped by. Then I noticed Brightside and Prarie Dogs tent collapsed. A bear had gotten to the food accidentally left in their tent leaving behind gnawed gashes in the mesh. At first when I tried to inform them of the situation they took it as a joke but after some time they came around. Soon after the bear returned for the rest of their food which Benji and I promptly chased off. This bear activity in a city campground was far more than anything I'd witnessed in the backcountry. Eventually things calmed down and we were able to get to sleep in preparation for Benjis first day on trail, to which I arranged a ride with a trail angel for 9am.