Solo sleepless nights.

After coming off a fantastic time in Whitehorse with friends and dogs and a shower and good food and an amazing bed, I headed to Liard Hot Springs to set up camp for a couple of days. WOW!

It was spectacular. It was also FILLED to the brim with people of all kinds - mostly families but also a few party groups. When I was sitting down at the hot springs a couple of young guys came down,  drunk and rowdy and loud, but not out of control. I stayed down in the springs for a while and they eventually left and it was just so calm and peaceful.

Later that afternoon, I was sitting at my camp site and they walked by and came in to say hi. They were still loud and wildly inappropriate but funny at the same time. They were interested in my car set up, so I gave them a little tour. They made a move to sit down and I kicked them to the curb (good naturedly) and told them the whole point of this trip was to be AWAY from loud, rowdy young guys. 

In the meantime, an older couple moved in across the road and on the other side of me was another young guy, who seemed to be alone. The older guy came over with his dog and chatted for quite a while and toured the car set up and he kept referring to himself as "we" but I had never seen a wife or any other person with him, maybe he was talking about himself and the dog? 

Throughout the day I noticed that the young guy from one side of me had stopped at old guys campsite a few times and they chatted and then young guy would move on and disappear. Later in the day, the original young guys stopped at old guys campsite and they looked over at me and one of them pointed at the car.  At this point, I realized that really between the three groups, they were camped on all sides of me. What the heck?

By this time, my mind was in overdrive. Did they all know each other? Were they hatching some elaborate plan to "get me"? I can't tell you all the places my mind went until it was time to go to bed. 

I decided to read and get my mind on to something different. After a few chapters, I laughed and realized I had read 3 books in a row about people being kidnapped and dragged off to be killed or sold or raped and held captive. I went to bed that night with my knife under my pillow, bear spray beside my pillow and air horn in my hand. I don't think I slept for most of the night. My mind went to so many places. I had contingency plans in place, I had written down the license plate of the camper of old guy (I still hadn't seen his wife or other travel partner by the time I went to bed), a description and names of drunk rowdy guys. Seriously people. When there is no other person to tell you you are being an irrational freak, your mind can just take off!

Anyways, I'm sure you're surprised to hear that I was not captured as part of some elaborate scheme and I was not killed in my tent and left for the bears to drag off. I got up the next morning and went about my day like I was a normal, well balanced, confident woman out to see the world.

So, it turns out old guy was traveling with his wife and she was not tied up in the back of their camper, she wasn't feeling well and had been napping on and off on the day before. Young, single guy was by himself, and did not know old guy. He was alone because his finaceé had broken his heart and ditched him. Old guy noticed young guy alone and upset and had befriended him. And drunk, rowdy guys? They just really liked my car and had made an offhand comment to old guy that my awning was better than his awning - hahahaha. 

I think that is my very first paranoid people experience and I lived!! 

Overall, I have done well on this trip for weird people experiences. There has only been one place were I had bad vibe and I left and it turned out to be the right decision. In fairness, the situation with the guys wasn't a weird or bad vibe it was just my imagination gone rogue. I have to remember to listen to the vibe and NOT my wild imaginings.