Not Totally Sure

By Heather Potter

Photos courtesy of Heather Potter

One morning in 2021, a couple of days before the end of our six-day annual camping trip to Deadwood Reservoir in Valley County, I was enjoying coffee by the campfire when I heard what sounded like a slight yelp.

It could have been an animal, or maybe brakes, or a squeaky camper flex rod. When you’re in the wilderness, you can’t always be sure. The sounds of nature, the river, the soft crackling of the campfire can make for a rather noisy kind of quiet. In any case, when I saw a car near the entrance of our camp, I stood up.

As I walked over to it, the driver quickly got out and greeted me. He was young, which didn’t really fit the profile of Deadwood camping people, and a few other young men were in the car. It seemed a little odd.

“Did you see anyone come down the road in a camper?” the driver asked. “I’m looking for my grandma’s camper. She’s supposed to be here.”