To read part fourteen of day nine, click here.

I couldn’t believe that it was 2:30 in the morning, and I was having to set up the bear hang.

While Maggie was finding the bear hang ropes, I sat down on a log. Tullia came over to get the tarp from my pack, looking at me in concern.

“Are you ok? You look like you’re about to fall asleep sitting there.”

“Oh, I’ve already done that at least ten times tonight. Why am I this tired? I’ve never been this tired before. None of you are falling asleep walking down the trail like I am…”

“Have you ever pulled an all nighter?”

My blank look must have answered her.

“That’s why. The rest of us are used to this. Well, we’re not used to hiking through the woods at two in the morning. But we are used to being up this late, if not later than this.”

She grinned at me and walked away, calling over her shoulder “You’ll be fine.”

Maggie yelled across the camp “Brett, we need you!”

I stumbled to my feet and walked over to her and Jen.

“We have to find a good tree. Start looking.”

The three of us wandered around, staring up at the sky. I kept looking down quickly and closing my eyes – in the soaproom, looking up with your eyes open is just asking for soap in your eyes. I was so tired that things like that just happened instinctively.

“I think I found a tree, Jen. Will that one work?” Maggie pointed up at the sky. I couldn’t tell which tree she was pointing at – there were around 50 that she could have been looking at.

I sat down on a log while they were talking about potential trees. The next thing I knew, Maggie was taking the bear hang things out of my hands.

“Just go to bed, Brett. Jen and I can do this.”

I didn’t argue. I shook my head, told them good night, and wandered around until I found our tarp. I spread my stuff out and then walked over to the guy’s tarp.

“Hey, Bruce?”

Bruce stuck his head out from under the tarp. “Yeah?”

“Will your watch wake you up in the morning? Because we’re supposed to wake up at six, and that’s in three hours. I’m not going to hear my watch at all.”

“I’ll come wake you up. Don’t worry about it.”

I thanked him, heading for my sleeping bag. I almost got into it with my hiking boots on, but stopped myself just in time. I didn’t even have time to do my evaluation of the day before I fell asleep, knowing that I was going to have to wake up in less than three hours. Even my cold, wet clothes didn’t stop me. I was going to get as much sleep as possible!

Click here to read the first part of Day Ten.

*Everything here is from my own memory and may not be correct. Outward Bound is not responsible for anything I post here. Thanks too NCOBS for letting me use their photos.*