Remembered by Phyllis Ralley, Photo by Larry Snead

Dale Shewalter once told me a story about how he was backpacking in Ponderosa pine country and hiked past a spot, under a beautiful Ponderosa, that was a perfect place to place his tent. It was still a bit early so he decided to keep hiking to another spot.

That night there was a huge lightning and thunderstorm. He was glad for the tent and the new spot he had chosen.

Hiking back the next day he came upon that “perfect” camp location. During the night lightning had struck that beautiful Ponderosa, breaking it into huge spikes that were driven into the ground underneath. The spikes were impaling the very spot Dale would have been sleeping.

Dale surely lived a charmed life.