[at-l] Weekend Trip Report or Another Bear Story

[ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com)]

My buddy Larry and I went for a two day backpack in the Pemigewassett
Wilderness if the White Mountains National Forrest this past weekend.  We
were planning to hike for three days but when he arrived at my place in NH
the weatherman was talking about heavey rains mixed with sleet, freezing
rain, and snow.  We decided to skip the first day- Saturday, which turned out
to be the right decission - Pinkham Notch got six inches of snow.  Larry's
right knee had been bothering him so we planned a hike with little elevation
gain - the Wilderness Trail to 13 Falls Camp Site in the heart of the Pemi
Wilderness.

It is a 9 mile hike along the path of an old logging railroad bed.  As we
hiked we saw foot prints of several other hikers in the wet snow and mud
along the trail.  We figured we would probably have company at the camp site
that night.  We came to the intersection of the Lincoln Brook and Franconia
Brook trails where most of the the tracks turned toward the Lincoln Brook
trail we continued on the Franconia Brook Trail.  Shortly after that we came
to a beaver pond.  I told Larry to be quiet because when Susan Buchanan and I
hiked this trail in September we spotted a moose in the pond.  Maybe we would
have the same kind of luck.  Well, no moose.  But across the pond I spotted
what apeared to be a tree stump that looked a lot like a bear.  The last time
I hiked the Pemi with Larry we tangled with a large Black Bear - (when you've
got some time I will tell you that story - best told about a campfire or on
the AT).  After our bear experience every stump we saw looked like a bear.
Well Larry said, Ya looks like the stump/bear we saw on Franconia Ridge that
scared the crap out of the both of us before we realized it was a stump.  I
said sure does Larry but this stump just moved.  Sure enough, there was a
female black bear across the pond and right behind her were three cubs.  They
were all up on there hunches looking across the pond at us.  The scurried out
of sight for a few seconds then showed up again a few feet to the right of
where we first spotted them.  The were foraging for food.  Two of the cubs
found trees to rub their backs against to scratch whatever itched them.  Then
they kind of sauntered off and out of sight.  We probably watched them and
they watched us for 10 - 15 minutes.  A wonderful sight.

    We continued along the trail until we began to see footprints in the mud
and snow again.  Further down the trail we ran into two guys and later a girl
and a guy who said they were planning to bag Owl's Head Mountain from the
Lincoln Brook Trail but could not cross the river to follow the trail.  They
tried to bushwack up trail to find a place to cross but ended back on the
Franconia Brook trail.  They walked up toward 13 Falls Campsite before
truning around.  It was fortunate that we ran into them for we planned to
hike down the Lincoln Brook Trail from the other end on Monday.  If we could
not cross the river on the return trip it would require our returning to 13
Falls and a total of 10 extra miles of hiking at a time when the sun sets at
4:45 in New Hampshire.  It would have been a very long walk using flash
lights.

    We camped for the night in very cold conditions but we were both snug in
our sleeping bags.  During the night we heard sleet and freezing rain.  The
tent platforms were covered by a very thin coat of ice in the morning but the
ground was just wet.  We had a delightful hike back to the car with strong
winds and temps about 40 degrees.  I would do it again in an instant.  Plus
now I have another bear story.

I suppose the moral of the story is - If you wish to see a bear, Bring Larry
into the Pemi.

                                        Art