While skiing off the highway I ran into a character who told me about an experience with a "spirit animal" that told him what he needed to know about life. I have never had such an experience. We discussed whether his experience came from outside or from inside, like a subconscious projection thingy. His conclusion was that it didn't matter, only the message was important, not its source.
While resting for week two I scoped out the trailhead where I had been warned of marmots eating radiator hoses and break lines. I came equipped with chicken wire, although my research indicated that this was more of a spring time problem and it was, after all, summer.
I woke in the night to the sound of teeth on metal, my favorite! I lept from my truck expecting to see a fat marmot or two scurrying away, but no, nothing. Back to sleep, repeat several times...this was not marmot behavior. Years ago in the Crazy Mountains I was visited by a similar character. After repeated shouts, projectiles and even a stern kick from within my bivy sac the visitor returned.
This time I got out the headlamp. Holy crap, my spirit animal! Unsure of its intentions I stabbed it three times with a ski pole. Its mass was impressive. I was sure there would be blood, but the creature only let out a soft hiss with each pole thrust.
In the morning I awoke wondering if this had really happened. As if on cue, the creature made a rare day time appearance and spent the following night harmlessly chewing on my frame, weird!
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| Spiny Norman at ease. |
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| Spiny Norman, stressing |
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| how do these things mate? |
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| posted up for the night |
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| Mr. Rosy finch picked seeds from the snow/grass boundary all day |
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| And there's usually one of these near the trail head... |
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| uh.... |
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| When I first pulled in this guy landed on my side view mirror several times, very curious. |
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