Bear Exposure

[shortydude]

[Steeps]

Ah, the ol' prey response to a fleeing object!

When I see bears around my house, I make sure they are the ones running away. Chasing them with a shovel and a metal pail to bang it on usually suffices... or just hollering Tom Waits songs at the top of my lungs until they flee in agony. After ski season, I look forward to 'the Running of the Bears' for a replacement adrenaline fix. Sometimes I even remember to grab the bear spray just in case.

That's black bears, though... I don't mess with the griz. European browns aren't quite as nasty but I still wouldn't want to be at the front of that chase.

I've heard that Boo, our resident grizzly bear at Kicking Horse likes to chase the staff on the way past his enclosure coming down from their staff day event (day after closing). It's supposed to be pretty surreal to be going at full speed on skis on a groomed run and to look over and see a full grown male griz just loping easily along beside in the snow.