From the outset, Max had not wanted to go on the camping trip. He wanted to stay home and watch the basketball games on television-so many of them had gone into overtime and it seemed like it would be a very exciting tournament. Even more interesting was the fact that his former university seemed likely to overthrow last year’s champion and win the national title. Max had told his younger brother Sam that camping was boring, but Sam was very persuasive. After a quick overview of the plan, Max now found himself on the outskirts of the mountains, carrying a heavy pack full of camping gear as he tried to keep up the pace with his younger brother. “At least the roads weren’t too bad on our way here,” Max thought. “Just a little ice on that one overpass.” Despite the cold, they were planning to stay overnight in the mountains, near the overflow dam of a beautiful mountain lake. The lake used to overflow every year before the dam was built. Max walked faster, hoping to overtake his brother to be the first one to make it to the campsite.
It was nearly dark at their camping spot as they laid down the pad that would be the floor for their tent. The pad was very good at preventing the back pain they always felt after they went camping. “I have overhauled the tent,” Sam said, “and it won’t fall down like it did last time we came camping. And now the door panels overlap better to keep the bugs out.” Once the tent was set up, they laid down to go to sleep. As he drifted off to sleep, Max thought about an overseas trip that he had taken last month. “Did I just overhear you say something?” Sam said suddenly. An overwhelming fear came over Max, as he heard something overturn their cooking stove outside. “Sam, did you overlook the fact that there are bears in this part of the mountains?” Max asked quietly.
Panic set in as they realized that it was in fact a bear outside, and he was stealing all of their food! The night seemed to last forever, but when morning came, they looked outside. The bear, along with all of their food, was gone. As they packed up everything, they took one last look at the beautiful panorama of the lake, the mountains, and the trees all around them. “Sam, I owe you an apology,” Max said. “This was much more exciting than sitting at home watching basketball games!”
It was nearly dark at their camping spot as they laid down the pad that would be the floor for their tent. The pad was very good at preventing the back pain they always felt after they went camping. “I have overhauled the tent,” Sam said, “and it won’t fall down like it did last time we came camping. And now the door panels overlap better to keep the bugs out.” Once the tent was set up, they laid down to go to sleep. As he drifted off to sleep, Max thought about an overseas trip that he had taken last month. “Did I just overhear you say something?” Sam said suddenly. An overwhelming fear came over Max, as he heard something overturn their cooking stove outside. “Sam, did you overlook the fact that there are bears in this part of the mountains?” Max asked quietly.
Panic set in as they realized that it was in fact a bear outside, and he was stealing all of their food! The night seemed to last forever, but when morning came, they looked outside. The bear, along with all of their food, was gone. As they packed up everything, they took one last look at the beautiful panorama of the lake, the mountains, and the trees all around them. “Sam, I owe you an apology,” Max said. “This was much more exciting than sitting at home watching basketball games!”