AmericaQuest is an interactive expedition developed by Classroom Connect. For four weeks a team of scientists and explorers will work to unravel the mysteries surrounding an ancient Pueblo indian tribe. Follow along here for daily reports on the Quest.

A lone adventure

Christina sets off on her solo camping adventure

By Christina Allen

March 23, 2000
Web posted at: 12:07 p.m. EST (1707 GMT)

Imagine you're alone in the woods, at night. Miles from help. The darkness is thick all around you. It's cold and you're peering into the trees. Suddenly a crunch of leaves and twigs breaks the silence. You gasp, wondering if you should run, shout, or just wait...

This scary scene turned out to be one of my coolest wilderness adventures ever.

Earlier this week, I decided to strike off alone into the wilderness for two days. After three weeks with seven other people, I had a longing to be alone. And I had the perfect excuse. When the team headed to Scaffold House, I set off in the other direction, "looking for animals in the wild."

I was nervous. The night before I left, I couldn't stop thinking, "What if I get lost, fall off a cliff, run out of water, a rock falls on me, a bear chases me, I can't start a fire?" and then, "Why am I doing this? Do I really want to eat cold food for two days, spend two whole days and a night all by myself?"

But as I hugged my teammates goodbye, I had two good omens on my side. The night before, I dreamed about wolves, running wild and free, and that morning, the quote on my teabag said, "Never be afraid to sit alone awhile and think." As I struck off, I thought proudly, "I am a woman alone in the wilderness. I can take care of myself. I'm ready."

I walked a few hours before I came to a beautiful open spot in the river. Dramatic stone arches towered above on either side. I spotted a perfect campsite on a bluff above, where I could watch up and down the river for animals.

The only way up to the bluff was a series of small, eroded gullies used by cattle. I picked the least steep one, but with each step, my feet sunk ankle deep in loose, powdery dust. I reached for the sidewall for support, and my hand landed on something round, cold and out of place. Curious, I reached for it. It fell easily out of the loose dirt into my hand. I gasped and pulled back my hand. Lying in the dirt was an intact ceramic Anasazi ladle, which probably hadn't been used for at least 700 years!

I didn't know what to do. Left lying in the cow path, it would surely get trampled, but if I moved it, it would be out of context for future archaeologists, not to mention being unnaturally moved from where the ancients had left it. But cows had eroded this gully, how natural was that? And if it's crushed, future archaeologists won't gain anything from it anyway. Finally, I decided to leave it right where it was overnight. In the morning I would decide.

At the top of the gully, I was astounded again. The bluff above was covered with pottery shards: black shiny pieces, white pieces with black designs, pieces where you could still see the finger marks that had pinched the coils together! I also found five or six obsidian tools that looked like arrowheads, little knives, and sharp rounded tools.

Christina found this ladle that probably hadn't been used in 700 years

I set up camp, collected firewood and waited by the river for animals. All I saw or heard were cattle, lots of cattle. No wonder I hadn't seen signs of wildlife. It was getting dark and cold, time to start a fire. Once I got the fire going, I was no longer busy and it got very quiet and very dark. Just then, a big ugly mole cricket scurried out of the soil near the fire and dug in again farther away. Too hot. I laughed, at ease again. Twenty minutes later, I was almost out of wood and getting cold, it was time to go get in my tent. Brrr. I peered into the darkness beyond the fire, toward my tent.

That's when I heard it, a distinct crunch in the underbrush. Yipes! Was it an animal? A person? A ghost, angry that I had unearthed the ladle? Ugh. My heart pounded. I stood frozen, waiting for another sound and considering my options. Run? Yell? Fight?

The next few minutes seemed like an hour, but still I heard nothing. I finally got up my courage, walked to the tent, got in my sleeping bag, and continued to listen, frozen.

The next thing I knew, I was startled awake by the bright morning sun. I looked out of the tent and saw a scene so different from the night before. Everything looked bright and safe and beautiful again. I felt silly for being scared the night before.

Things certainly look different in the dark, but being alone in the wilderness really isn't as scary as most people would think. Cities are much more dangerous, with our cars and unpredictable people. The wilderness is a great place to think and listen, take a rest from talking and television, and gain the confidence that you can rely on yourself. I highly recommend it, even if it starts in your own backyard.

Proudly yours,

Christina

AmericaQuest
Classroom Connect