Wolves in the mist
We woke to heavy fog on this morning. Sitting in camp drinking coffee, we felt like our chances of finding a wolf were just about nil.
Then we heard distant howling. Energized by the potential of a wolf encounter, we quickly packed up our gear and hiked out into the fog following the sound. A second wolf joined in much closer than the first, and our collective pulses quickened. Soon, both wolves were howling somewhere out there…
We stopped in our tracks. The wolves were not far away, but we could see nothing except the grey curtain of mist around us. For the next half an hour we just stood and listened to the intermittent chorus emanating from beyond.
Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, the fog began to lift. Eventually, the distant shape of a wolf was discernible through the mist. Later still, blue sky was visible through the haze above us. A gentle breeze picked up and the final remnants of vapour blew away. I blinked and suddenly I could clearly see two wolves lying in the sand watching us.