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[at-l] RE: Bear stare

>The Logues write (in "The AT Backpacker") "Never, ever look a bear (or =
any
>animal in the eye. Direct eye contact is perceived as aggressive." Can =
any
>of you savvy hikers or biologists validate that? I'm a bit skeptical.  =
"Poet"

When hiking the AT in '94, just north of Gren Anderson Shelter in NJ,
I had a bear encounter.  Rounding a curve, I saw what I thought was a
slow black dog, but turned out to be a large, mangy black bear with a
radio collar.  I stopped,  the bear stopped, and for the next 3
minutes or so, we both observed each other.   It was one of the most
interesting experiences I had while hiking the AT.  I froze and
breathed as slowly as I could while observing the bear.  I definitley
remember looking the bear in the eye.   I began to understand why the
Indians respected bears, for I really seemed to be able to sense the
intelligence behind the eyes, as well as what seemed to be curiosity.
Eventually, the bear turned and slowly made it's way into the woods.
I watched it leave, and I slowly made my way up the Trail.

As others have commented, bears can be very unpredictable,
particularly grizzlies and sometimes blacks. I've seen bears in
Shenandoah and George Washington National Forest, (always running as
fast from me as they could), but never as close as this one.
However, at that particular encounter, I had more of a sense of
wonderment than fear.  As Wingfoot mentions in the Thru-Hiker's Guide,
a bear is the animal you probably most fear, yet the one you most want
to see.    Given how my bear encounter played out, my (lucky/safe)
encounter was one of the highlights of my hike.
                                       Marshall
                                       "Tarkus"
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