We were given instructions ("Bear Etiquette") which included:
- Never approach a bear. Okay. I have no problem with that rule.
- Never allow a bear to get human food. If approached while eating, put food away and retreat to a safe distance. Sorry, but if I'm approached while eating, I am not taking time to put the food away!!
- Never abandon food because of an approaching bear. Always take it with you. Yeah, right. This is too much like the previous one. Let's see... a bear approaches me because I have yummy food, how does taking said yummy food with me solve anything?
- Never throw your pack or food at a bear in an attempt to distract it. Sorry again, but I'm all for throwing anything (except a family member) at a bear if it will take its attention off me!
I thought of the movie The Great Outdoors (1988) often during our camping trip. In this scene, Chet (John Candy) attempts to bond with his younger son by taking him to a dump where the bears gather to forage on scraps. Obviously, they did not read the "Bear Etiquette" rules.
Really? They want you to take your food with you as your run away? Like Kurt used to say to me when I let him talk me into hiking with him: "Brian, I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you."
ReplyDeleteThanks, buddy.
I'm with you, Trudy. Give the food to Kurt and then run fast the other way.
Brian, have you ever seen that episode of Dharma and Greg where Greg and his father-in-law, Larry (an aged hippie), are running from a bear? Larry realizes he can't run very fast while wearing Birkenstock sandals so he tells Greg to keep going and safe himself, he will linger behind and "try to be chewie!" Now THAT'S love!
DeleteOops. That's *save* himself, not safe himself. Sheesh.
Delete