Man, this summer has been flying by. I realize I haven't posted in a while, but it feels like I've only been back at Rocky for a couple weeks. It'll be September before I know it.
Yesterday I hiked up to Sandbeach Lake in Wild Basin for my backcountry patrol day. Sandbeach will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first trail I hiked in RMNP two years ago, and despite the lung crushing steady uphill to the lake, it remains one of my favorites.
As I was coming down from the lake (after dismantling FIVE illegal fire rings) I stopped in at the Hunter's Creek campsite to talk with the campers staying there. They were four young guys from Louisiana on an epic National Park roadtrip to the west coast and back. They were telling me about the bear tracks they spotted the day before and asking me what bear scat usually looks like. I told them they'd be pretty lucky to see one of the park's few bears, and as long as they store their food properly, they shouldn't have anything to worry about.
"Alright, see you guys later! Have a great trip."
30 seconds later I nearly walk into a black bear waiting just uphill from their campsite.
I managed to whip out my phone and snap a few shots and video before the curious bear sauntered off down the trail.
!
It's always so exciting to see a bear. I immediately returned to the Louisiana campers and told them what I had just seen.
"Are you f***ing for real?!" A mixture of excitement and worry in their voices.
I showed them the video and wished them well again, throwing in an extra reminder to secure their bear canisters.
Sandbeach Lake will always have a special place in my heart.
I had a feeling you would post after seeing the bear! I also loved the hike up to Sand Beach Lake and...as much as I have a bear phobia, I still think it would be exciting to see a bear. Your video was great and showed me that the black bear would more than likely always be moving away from me if I ever did see one on the trail.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought: The fact that you find so many illegal fire rings when you are out patrolling troubles me. I just watched .a documentary on the "Big Burn" of 1910. Even though the fires were probably sparked by lightning and the Rockies had experienced a few years of severe drought, it still worries me about people breaking the rules about camp fires.Most campers are responsible to put out their fires but it only takes one idiot, breaking the rules, to cause catastrophe. I sure hope the Louisiana boys were following the rules :)
Thanks for sharing! See you in September....and you're right...it will be here before we can say " Hey, Yogi!".
Good to hear from you again......great to see them bears...at a distance. Continue having a great summer in RMNP
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