As we drove to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, news images of the injured face and head of the 16 year only boy
pulled from his hammock by a bear in the Great Smoky Mountains National
park June 6, 2015 replayed themselves in my head like an unshakable song. If they boy's father hadn't jumped
the bear, hadn't given it a few good punches, the 16 year old might
not be alive today. Typically I sleep well on backpacking trips. I wondered if I would get any sleep on this trip, or if
night noises and passing shadows would magically transform into bears.
