It's not often you see a bear on the road and have to stop
It was bigger than it looked and instead of running across the road, it ran down the centre-line before it veered back into the trees
There is not much traffic along this route
it's not the first time we have had bear encounters but being city slickers we wouldn't know what to do if we were confronted face to face with one.
I remember one time I was hiking with my friend to the south end of Chilliwack Lake. At that time the paved road ended and turned to dirt for the final 38 kilometers. Then we had a muddy road for another 12 kms to get to the parking area at the south end. We were walking on the sandy beach and there was a very large bear PAW in the sand. We compared the indentation in the sand with our footprints. Our feet were small as compared to the PAW, and then I noticed that the grains of sand were still dropping down the sides . . . We started to make more noise and got out of there right away
We spent a week in Haida Gwai'i and the section of road above was just north of Skidegate heading towards Massett. We spent two whole days on a Zodiac with 8 other people visiting ancient Haida villages
Our cameras were stored under the seat in waterproof compartments, but I had my pocket camera and managed a photo of Mrs Skoot as were were Zodiac'ing our way to Hotsprings Island, which was 4 hours south of Moresby Camp
You can read more about Skidegate ---> HERE <---
Balance Rock: We are trying to keep it from falling
Cool!
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to see a bear in the wild - until I saw a bear in the wild. Nature is so fascinating and scary and beautiful all at the same time.
The photo with the moss... amazing <3
Great post. Mrs. Skoot looks a little chilly on that zodiac though.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the bear is really neat. I agree with fuzzy - nature is scary and beautiful at the same time.
Coming from Northern BC I have had a few almost bear encounters. I have to say it is definitely something I can live without. These critters are not friendly like Winnie the Pooh. We were out hiking and came across fresh bear scat and decided not to stick around to see if it was a black bear or grizzly that made the rather large deposit on the trail.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! Mrs. Skoot looks a wee bit chilled, I hope she warmed up in the hotspring.
I can''t believe you had the presence of mind to snap the photos (were you wrapped up safely inside a four wheeled vehicle?) I had to stop and wait for a bear on the road in the Poconos during my 2010 trip. I sat on the Star, with clutch and throttle both ready, hands both strained posed to make a break away if the bear changed his mind or direction. He stayed on the centre line for what seemed an eternity before looking at me then crossing over the road to ramble on into the ditch. Somebody asked me why I hadn't taken a picture, my answer - 'cause I didn't have any more hands ...
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a bear in the wild, but hopefully not too close! Their are signs about bears and cougars in Mac forest where we ride, but I've never seen either. Cougars scare me more.
ReplyDeleteBob, given your propensity for food and cooking I'm surprised that poor bear didn't turn up here as "Bear Benedict" or "dim sum bruin."
ReplyDeleteFuzzy:
ReplyDeletethe scariest time was when I encountered a bear on a trail, only a few feet ahead.
Haida Gwai'i is protected and you are only allowed to walk in designated areas, and also you need a guide to take you there. You are not allowed to roam around on your own
Trobairitz:
The were long days. We had to catch the 8am ferry to go to Sandspit. A van met us on the other side and then another hour+ on a logging road to get to Moresby Camp. From there we hopped onto a Zodiac and travelled another 4 hours south. We didn't get back to our hotel until around 9pm, and then we had to have dinner
Dar:
tell us more about your Northern BC home and where it was that you grew up . . . I am sure that all of us are glad that they "let you out"
VS Lady:
sorry, no bikes. We had to fly to Sandspit then take a ferry over to Queen Charlotte City. It would be a logistical headache to get a bike here, and also there are no repair facilities.
BlueKat:
the tour guide took us to the fisheries area, where there were probably another 5 bears scrounging for salmon. They were very close to us, probably around 10 ft or so, well . . . maybe 15 ft
Doug:
you cannot eat bear meat right away. It has to be aged . . . Bears look lazy and overweight, but they are faster than they look. When we were farther north a bear came out of the bushes and crossed the highway in front of us. It only hopped 3 times before it was out of sight
have i ever told you my bear and bike experience? hmmm...i should blog that soon... great pics! seeing ms skoots pic makes me say brrrrrrrr
ReplyDeleteI have seen lots of bears in Alberta, not so many in BC. Nice catch. Isn't it fun to be a tourist in your own backyard?
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your Skoot adventures! And you always have such cool pics. The mossy trees looks like a very peaceful place to be.
ReplyDelete