1. Around 4am, our first night camping, I woke up to a loud grunting noise. It sounded fairly close to our tent. I startled and called out, "What is that noise?" John woke up and sat quietly listening. All seemed very still. We were about to relax and go back to sleep when the bushes around our tent started to move. I said. "oh, something is definitely there." I suggested that John go and check on the kids in the other tent. John did not think it wise to leave our tent, but he did want to warn the older kids to stay in their tent no matter what. John went, and just before he came back there was one more loud grunt. John asked if I had heard that. Yes, yes I had. Wanting to get some more sleep I suggested it was just a raccoon. John pointed out that the grunt was very deep and therefore had to come from a large animal. He was sure it was a bear. We had crumbs from the kids, left on the ground. There are warnings posted everywhere about bears. It had to be a bear. I conceded, but suggested we just stay in our tent and try to sleep. We did try. Joseph woke up.
In the morning, I left the tent to use the bathroom, and heard the noise again over by the river. I had to see what made that noise, so I went over to look. I looked along the river bank and there was a moose! A girl moose in fact. Feeling very relieved, I went to the bathroom and returned to tell John that we had a moose beside our tent, not a bear. John still wasn't sure. I was.
Later, Ruth was standing by the river, looked up and a moose was right there, 5 feet across the river staring at her. Ruth stood stock still-- smart girl-- until the moose lost interest and ran off into the woods.
Still later, the very nice camp managers stopped by to tell me some money saving tips for next time. I think they were concerned for me being alone with so many little ones. They even brought me kindling that they had chopped. I told them about the noise and the moose. They told me that in the three years they had worked at the campground there had not even been a bear siting in all of Big Cottonwood Canyon. So why all the signs????
2. Because Big Cottonwood Canyon is the watershed area, or where the people in Salt Lake County get their drinking water, you are not supposed to wade and swim in the water. My kids knew this. I explained it all. I told them they could walk around or play by the banks of the river, but not go in. But, there were several fallen trees over the river. It became the sport to cross these while other kids threw big rocks into the water to splash the person crossing. Johnny lost his balance, fell completely into the river and had a shoe float away. So if any of you in Salt Lake County get a black sneaker stuck in your pipes could you please return it :).
3. Things I learned camping with my kids: 1. It is okay to eat sooty, burnt marshmallows, but not sooty golden fluffy pancakes. 2.If we have cookies, candy, chips, and hot cocoa in plenty, I need not worry about cooking because no one will eat it anyway. 3.Little kids do not fall asleep in a tent, but they will fall asleep shut in the car, buckled in a car seat. 4.Kate is very capable and can set up a small tent all by herself in just a few minutes. If Ruth can do this, she will not for fear that I may ask her to do it another time. 5. No matter how many times you wash your hands and your kids faces while camping they will stay coated with dirt, and 6. You do not need hairspray while camping because the dirt holds your hair together beautifully!
