Wed, 09 Jul 2003
Close Encounters Of The Bear Kind
I was on my usual daily run with the dog today at Moraine State Park when I was crossing the entrance road to the first boat launch on the north shore when a black bear appeared in the trail about a hundred feet ahead.
Fortunately, the dog didn't see the bear so I started sprinting for the boat launch where there were at least a few more people around. The bear seemed to hurry off as soon as he saw me. I stood talking to the tour boat operator for a few minutes and then headed back to the trail since I needed to get through there to get to my car and the remainder of the area is heavily wooded. I got about 50 feet down the trail before I discovered that the bear was still foraging around in the deep vegetation at the trail's edge. Heart palpitations set in when I heard the unmistakable sound that the bear made while rushing through the underbrush.
For the second time, I turned and started sprinting back toward the boat launch, all the while realizing that I couldn't possibly outrun the bear. The bear had retreated a second time when I decided to take the road back which is a long way around after running that far in all that heat and humidity but the tour boat operator was nice enough to follow along in his car and make sure I made it out of the vicinity in one piece. Thanks to the kindness of strangers.
I understand that black bear attacks are rare but it's still a frightening experience due to the sheer size of the animal. Now I'm just debating what, if anything, I should do on my future excursions through the park. Ironically, the section of the park I was running yesterday is one of the most heavily trafficked and I usually take the most unused and remote trail I can find. One things for sure, the reports of bear sightings in previously uncharted territory for bears are true.
Posted at: 07:28 | permalink
