50+ thread

Bigfeets!?!

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-sQzH5uO8Q/?igsh=NmhiM3lieDBrY20z

 

I always make sure to look around, check muddy spots for prints, keep to more open areas when possible and make sure I have an exit that doesn’t involve wading.

several years ago I was on my way home from Yellowstone and was driving up highway 191. It was early evening. I think I had stopped and had dinner in West before getting on the road. Anyways, driving up and I see a bunch of cars stopped. Highway 191 is notorious for being crazy with traffic and folks going too fast. So seeing cars stopped I knew it had to be either a wreck or a bear. Pretty much the only two things that will slow people down there…
Slowed down as I approached and sure enough there was a grizzly roaming close to the road. I found a spot to pull over on the shoulder and grabbed my camera. Walked up to the crowd of people and took some shots. We were plenty safe and at a distance with the river between us and the bear. Then the bear turned and started walking towards us a bit. Bigger concern was that it was also walking towards this fisherman in the river who had his back turned to us and had no idea what was going on. Also didn’t help that the river is down a bit and the banks on either side are about 6 to 10 feet vertical before leveling out. So I told everyone we needed to get the fisherman’s attention and get him out of there. We all started yelling but between the noise of the river and traffic driving by he couldn’t hear us screaming BEAR and GET OUT. But he did turn his head for a second and looked our way. Since I had been out hiking all day in Yelly I still had my bear spray on my belt. I unholstered it, held it up for him to see, pointed at it and then towards the bear. About that second the bears head poked over the embankment and the fisherman got a look at him. He immediately started walking up towards us while winding his line around his hand. He thanked me once he was safe up on the road with everyone. If we all hadn’t of been there to alert him I 100% expect he would have been charged by the bear.
I was about where the red x’s are, fisherman was the green X and the bear was walking along the West Bank area

 

GD thunderstorms!!! Ruining my camping plans tonight!!
but yeah. guess i'm staying home tonight. severe thunderstorm warning in the area. possible 50 mph winds. no bueno with the truck camper.

 

There were a few times when I was out that I think maybe a bear came through my campsite. Never had any actual encounter but just weird bumps in the night.
I was out in heavy heavy grizzly area and was up in the RTT when something woke me up. Some animal walked alongside Runner, closer to my head and not the ladder side. I just stayed really still and tried to listen until it was gone or far enough away that I could unzip a bit and poke the flashlight out.
There had been a few deer that had wandered past earlier on the evening so I told myself that it was just them again and went back to sleep. The more I think about it though I do wonder if it wasn’t a bear and not the deer.

 

Got enough crazy stories that I’ve lived through.
But if you want a scary bear book look up the night of the grizzly about some campers that were attacked in camp in glacier park back in the late 60’s