Pristine

My clothing drips with perspiration as the sweat pours from my body. To look at me, you would think I was trudging through the desert instead of plodding through a foot of fresh snow in sub-zero weather. My heart pounds so hard I’m sure it’s echoing throughout the valley, making it easier for the beasts to find me. I’ve never thought of myself as prey, but now I know how a deer feels.

It was my love of photographing pristine snow-covered landscapes that put me in this deadly predicament and I have no idea how to escape. Scanning the horizon, searching for somewhere to take refuge, I spot an outcropping of rocks, but it may be too far away. Excited howls coming from behind me makes my decision for me; run or die. There is no longer time to drink in the unspoiled beauty that surrounds me. The howls sound closer by the minute.

While running toward the rocks, I take a mental inventory of the items in my backpack. Camera, lenses, cans of food, need tossing while I continue to run for my life. Other things, collapsible tripod, canteen, lighter, will be weapons. My sanctuary is close, but so is the pack. Climbing these boulders may be harder than I thought.

What’s that? A cave opening! I can defend myself when it’s one on one. Yes, I’ll be safe in here until the pack finds new prey. What’s that in the corner? Never wake a hibernating bear!