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The new food-storage container at the campsite is a rutabaga nearly as wide as a picnic table. Nobody knows who brought it. Someone has placed a label on its side: “BEAR RESISTANT.” The campers debate whether the label refers to the vegetable’s structural strength or its apparent lack of appeal. A child asks where the…
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Near a national park entrance, a man in a folding chair offers visitors a shortcut to “the real Grand Canyon.” His hand-lettered sign promises fewer crowds and a view “the government doesn't talk about.” The price is twelve dollars and a vague commitment to follow his directions. His directions lead to a roadside turnout overlooking…
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The dog recognized him before her owner did. Ten years earlier, he had shared half a sandwich at a trail junction and scratched behind her ears. Today he stepped out of a van bearing the logo of an ultralight equipment company. He wore a pack so small it looked capable of holding one windbreaker and…
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At 2:00 p.m., the camp counselors were told they had half an hour with no assigned activity. They stood beside the equipment shed, holding clipboards and waiting for further instructions. One asked whether the time was for reflection. Another began outlining a team-building exercise. The camp director shook her head. They could walk, sit, look…
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Last spring, the group’s bird expert identified everything by sound. This spring, his friend learned the call of the red-winged blackbird and has used it to identify much of the outdoors. He hears it in a marsh and names it correctly. He hears a squeaky gate near a parking lot and names it with less…
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Fictional satirical interview. This conversation did not take place. Rock Ptarmigan: What brings you out before sunrise? Ice Cube: The parking lot fills up. You get there early, you hear the birds instead of car doors. Plus, the light hits the ridgeline before it hits the trail. I don't want to miss that. RP: Are…
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It entered the pack firm, fragrant, and full of promise. At the end of the hike it emerged as a damp opinion about planning. The peach had been selected at a farm stand on Friday afternoon. Its owner imagined eating it beside an alpine lake, perhaps while looking outward in a manner that suggested a…
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The afternoon interpretive walk was going well. A ranger had explained how the river shaped the valley, identified three native shrubs, and gently corrected a visitor who believed moss always grows on the north side of a tree. Then the wind took his hat. Underneath it was a second hat: smaller, slightly faded, and secured…
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The ordinary road test checks whether you can stop at a sign, change lanes, and park beside a curb. The mountain road test asks whether you can meet a descending pickup on a narrow bend without announcing to your passengers that you have always loved them. Candidates begin on level pavement. They are then directed…
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The bird appeared for approximately two seconds, behind three leaves, at the exact moment everyone reached for a granola bar. Nevertheless, four people identified it immediately and one began describing its breeding range. At the next meeting of the local bird club, someone proposed adding a second name to every checklist entry: the name of…