I remember camping with the Boy Scouts at the Chimney Tops Campground, and a Black Bear came visiting while we slept. If you say there is no such campground you are right, as some years back the Park Service made this jewel in the Smokies a picnic only area.
There had been a lot of bears seen around the area so the Scout Master posted a rotating fire watch through the night. We had our food tied up in trees.
I remember sleeping in a pup tent with a boy named Fowler. During the night I remember half-waking up and saying “Fowler get your leg off me” and he responded that his leg wasn’t on me.
The next day one of the boys that had been on fire watch said that a bear had poked his head in our tent during the night, and that must have been the bears foot on my sleeping bag instead of Fowler’s leg. I’m glad I didn’t wake up and see that bear’s head poking into our tent.
We had a tent ripped the day before by bear claws looking for food. There where a lot more bear sightings and problems in the Smokies before they came up with the bear proof trash cans.
