Re: [at-l] bear stories

[goinggoinggone@webtv.net]

There is no lesson in this story aside from what most all here already
know: unexpected encounters with wilderness hazards have wildly variant
random outcomes....we were uncommonly lucky on an evening in West
Central Alaska 27 years ago: There were three of us, prospecting in a
very remote valley; well, three humans and the German Shepard that saved
our lives. I was the cook, mainly because I liked good biscuits, and no
one else would take the time. I was sitting in front of my tent stirring
the peas, enjoying the wonderful smell, when all at once the dog barked
and someone yelled "Bear!", and the first thought that went through my
head was, "the bear is going to eat the peas and then me", I heard Jamie
shout 'Where's my gun', and I almost started laughing, thinking about
him shooting that big Griz with a 357 and making it really mad, but I
was running too hard to breath, much less laugh. I know now this was the
wrong thing to do, but it's really hard to rationalize standing still
when a bear is headed your way from perhaps fifty yards away. Anyway,
the dog had charged the bear, barking for all it was worth, and the bear
turned and left. I wish I could remember the dogs' name, because its'
bravery and the good results deserve more than just a " good dog ". It
was an exceptional dog, and we were uncommonly lucky. It could have just
as easily gone the other way. And I spilled the peas.

Alejandro

" When I was a boy, I was told that anyone could become President; I'm
beginning to believe it." - Clarence Darrow

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