I was sleeping in a bivy one clear night in my local foothills when a skunk walked right up to my face. There was only no-see-um mesh in between me and it's face. I was half alseep, but when I realized what was out there I simply froze. Luckily I didn't freak out. He had smelled my hot chocolate cup and was licking around the rim. I've learned not to put my used cup and spoon near my face when I'm in my bivy from now on.

Soon it waddled off after about 10 minutes of me staring it directly in the face (I was so close I could hear his tongue lapping the cup). Actually I wanted to get out and pet it. As soon as it got about 15 feet away, I jumped out of the sack (in my underwear) and threw rocks at it furiously to scare it off. Luckily the wind was blowing in the right direction and it was far enough away that it's spray wouldn't have reached me. Getting to sleep in a bivy is hard enough let alone after such an upclose encounter with something that could really ruin your day. It took me awhile to get back to sleep to say the least.