bear encounter

Out of all my years hiking out west...I've never had a "bear encounter." Meaning that I had never run into a bear on or close to the trail. That all ended yesterday...but I'm still alive to tell the tale...so just so you know...it ends well. It actually wasn't that exciting...I was coming back from Holly Lake (the String Lake area over by Jenny Lake...yes there are lots of lakes here) and it was a long hike...especially for the first one of the season (I was feeling overly ambitious....sure 16 miles is no big deal...so I told myself). Coming down at about mile 13...I was tired...and I was just looking down trying to get back to my car fast....when I hear someone in front of me say, "There's a bear!" I say, "What?" "On your right!" Low and behold...and pretty cute looking back bear having a dinner-feast of huckleberries. She looked at me, I looked at her...she thankfully went back to eating and I immediately turned around and backed up until I couldn't see her anymore. I guess the people on the other side came a lot closer than I did....so we're both on opposite sides of the trail, trying to get through...but the bear is in the way. I devised a plan and told the people from the other side to start yelling, and I would yell from my side...and hopefully the bear would get off the trail. While I'm yelling, two idiot hikers come up behind me and I tell them of the bear...and the guy replies with, "Great, I haven't seen a bear yet!" and proceeds to pass me and walk towards where the bear is. Then has the audacity to tell me to stop yelling because I'll scare it away. I just replied with, "Sir, that is the point". Stupid tourist! So basically it all ended fine...by the time those guys tried to get a picture, the bear had meandered off the trail...and I was fine to go on my way. So fun times...my first hike here...and I see a bear up closer than I would like to...thankfully it was a calm, non-threatening encounter.

If you know my dad or my sister....don't tell them about this...I'll get in trouble for hiking by myself. But the hike was amazing! Holly Lake is so pretty!