I trailblazed through the woods today, looking for the bald eagles that migrate here each Winter. There was only one bird so far, and he flew away before I could snap a picture. So I decide to investigate the campsite I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. At that time, I had determined it to be either A) S&M playground B) Serial killer hideout. C) Drunken vagrants home. Or D) All of the above.

Needless to say, any of these answers was scary to me, but my curiosity nearly always trumps my judgment.

So my dog and I maneuvered through the woods — over, under and around fallen trees. There were tracks in the snow. Boots about the size of mine. This morning’s snow had dusted the prints, however, so whoever it was hadn’t been here in a while. Maybe he was asleep, dead, or retreated someplace warmer.

The camp was hidden behind a crescent of fallen trees on a strip of land between the river and a pond. I let the dog go ahead and sniff about, figuring she’d take the brunt of any attack. Or at least start barking.

There was an old blue tarp, set up like a pup tent, suspended by a rope stretching between two trees and tall enough for a man to stand up in.

I shouted “Hello?!”

No answer.

I stayed back from the camp. Just close enough to see a coffee cup on the bench in the snow. It wasn’t steaming.

I half-expected some haggard river rat to attack me Guerilla-style from the trees. Or some crazy old drunk to come flying out of the tent and stab me with a piece of drift wood.

“Hello?” I shouted again.

Still no answer. So I turned and left. I didn’t want to have him catch me going through his stuff. And, he could have been hiding in some brush watching me.

I’m not scared of vagrants. But I am scared of men who live in the woods during Winter. Its the type of scenario horror movies are based on.

I hurried out of the woods, unsure if I should tell someone, or just let the man go on living? The father in me says tell the authorities. The writer in me wants to document his story. The scofflaw in me wants to just leave him alone. I just don’t know.

Above – Vagrant camp in December. Below – Vagrant camp in October.