On my new blog:
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A run-hike on the hottest day of the July.
7/05/2013
Mother Bear in Harriman Park
Despite being extraordinarily busy the last few weeks and ongoing, I took some time today to get in some minimal training for the escarpment trail run in a few weeks. It was about 93 degrees with a dew point over 70 -- muggy tough conditions. I hiked up the 700 vertical feet to the woods road, then turned left to the lake. Hard to motivate a good effort in those conditions, but I pushed it as far as I could just by hiking the hills then running the downhills, and flats when I felt like it. Refilled my bottle at the lake but the heat was worse going back, or rather, the heat actually was slightly better, but once the heat breaks you, it feels much harder.
After over two hours of moving in the heat I was well on the way back. I had just crested the final ridge, running the trail downhill, about 30 minutes from home. Senses drawn away from the focus of trail running off to my right. I saw three, no four moving black blobs off in the woods -- Bears. One big one and three smaller ones; cubs. Wow and not far away, 75 meters maybe. Stop look. Don't take your eyes off the mother bear as you pull out your camera. If she charges you drop. Finally get the camera out -- is she going to be pissed off that I'm lingering here, looking her way, her cubs scampering away in the other direction. She stares intently at me as I line up the camera and zoom it for a shot. Nice full size Female bear from what I can tell. I didn't linger further and began sidestepping away down the trail. The bear didn't show any movement, so I turned and started my normal trail running, now away from the bear. No noise of movement from the bear, which I would have heard. The cubs were too far away and obscured by brush, but here's the mother: (click to enlarge)
After over two hours of moving in the heat I was well on the way back. I had just crested the final ridge, running the trail downhill, about 30 minutes from home. Senses drawn away from the focus of trail running off to my right. I saw three, no four moving black blobs off in the woods -- Bears. One big one and three smaller ones; cubs. Wow and not far away, 75 meters maybe. Stop look. Don't take your eyes off the mother bear as you pull out your camera. If she charges you drop. Finally get the camera out -- is she going to be pissed off that I'm lingering here, looking her way, her cubs scampering away in the other direction. She stares intently at me as I line up the camera and zoom it for a shot. Nice full size Female bear from what I can tell. I didn't linger further and began sidestepping away down the trail. The bear didn't show any movement, so I turned and started my normal trail running, now away from the bear. No noise of movement from the bear, which I would have heard. The cubs were too far away and obscured by brush, but here's the mother: (click to enlarge)
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