I thought I’d come out here for the silence. Three days into the Eagles Nest backcountry, I’d almost convinced myself the only thing left was the wind and my own tired thoughts. Then, at 2AM, something heavy shuffled outside my tent. Not the wind. Not my mind. I lay there, holding my breath, counting every sound. The crunch of paws, the snuffling—close enough to hear the animal thinking. I’d wanted wild. I got it. When the noises faded, I didn’t sleep. I realized I’d come here to escape people, but out here, being alone is a myth. The wild always finds you first. #Travel #WildernessNights #SoloCamping