Don't let the peaceful beauty of these pictures fool you... shortly after they were taken, Terry and I encountered two grizzlies on the Albert Loop at the Eagle River Nature Center. A large sow and her older cub were snuffling along the side of the trail about 30 yards ahead of us. The mama bear started woofing and swinging her head from side to side. I didn't get a clear look at her cub and at first I thought it was a dog. This terrified me because a loose dog had been running back and forth along the trail earlier in our hike and I was sure the dog would come bounding down the path leading the bear right to us! Terry who got a better look was even more scared to think that we had almost surprised a mama bear and her baby. Instead of eating us for dinner (which they could have, easily), the bears ran across the trail and into the woods. We turned around and started walking away - quickly. I noticed every little smudge and scratch (bear prints, claw marks!) in the dirt, counted the piles of bear scat on the trail (four - three looked fairly fresh) and listened for any strange noises while at the same time trying to talk as loudly as possible on the long way back to our car. We are alive, but wiser now. Next time, we will take more victims (I mean, people) with us. They say that you are safe in a group of four or more. Who wants to go hiking?
Don't let the peaceful beauty of these pictures fool you... shortly after they were taken, Terry and I encountered two grizzlies on the Albert Loop at the Eagle River Nature Center. A large sow and her older cub were snuffling along the side of the trail about 30 yards ahead of us. The mama bear started woofing and swinging her head from side to side. I didn't get a clear look at her cub and at first I thought it was a dog. This terrified me because a loose dog had been running back and forth along the trail earlier in our hike and I was sure the dog would come bounding down the path leading the bear right to us! Terry who got a better look was even more scared to think that we had almost surprised a mama bear and her baby. Instead of eating us for dinner (which they could have, easily), the bears ran across the trail and into the woods. We turned around and started walking away - quickly. I noticed every little smudge and scratch (bear prints, claw marks!) in the dirt, counted the piles of bear scat on the trail (four - three looked fairly fresh) and listened for any strange noises while at the same time trying to talk as loudly as possible on the long way back to our car. We are alive, but wiser now. Next time, we will take more victims (I mean, people) with us. They say that you are safe in a group of four or more. Who wants to go hiking?
2 comments:
I still have the pepper spray that you kids gave me for Christmas one year...want me to mail it to you? I read that it's effective against bears. Beautiful pics, Lisa.
Bears are overrated. Just ask timmy treadwell. Awesome story mom, just dont let the experience cause you to get to uptight next time you go hiking. I always assume there's bears around and dont let it bother me. Alaska is true wilderness.....Jed
Post a Comment