Submitted to A picture worth project on January 14, 2004.
Photo was taken with Minolta X-700 SLR sometimes in summer 2000.

"You're lucky with bears", Joe (hubby) tells me. "I'm in Canada for 3 decades now, and didn't see any bears, but since you've come here, we've seen so many of them!".

Yeap. That's exactly right. In the almost 5 years since I moved to Canada, we've seen some 20 bears out there in the wild. Most of them were black bears, two were brown bears, and one was a grizzly bear. It has become a challenge for us - each time we go out on a trip - to spot a bear. And boy, we were lucky!

In summer 2000 we went on a camping trip to British Columbia, the western province of Canada. At that particular day (when the photo was taken) we were already on our way back home, just leaving Radium and entering the gates of Kootenay national park. I've spotted a young black bear sitting alongside the road and yelled at Joe to stop the van and drive back. I always yell loudly when I spot a bear... can't help the excitement, you know *s*.

We parked the van some 10 feet away from the guy and just set there, quietly, watching him. He was feeding on the abundance of Dandelions around him, and didn't pay too much attention to anything but his breakfast. I remember rolling up the window, just in case he decided to come closer... (chicken me) *s*.

And... I was taking photos like crazy! It was the first time we came so close to a bear, and since this black guy who sitting still most of the time, he'd become a perfect model.

When going through our albums and seeing these photos, We always being reminded of another bear... the grizzly one... the measly grizzly!

On another camping trip we took around July 2002, we were joined by my brother. We went to Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, planning on staying in the campground for two nights. While reaching the registration booth, the girl there asked us what were our sleeping arrangements. We explained that Joe and I will sleep in a tent, and my brother was to sleep in the van. "No can do", said the girl. "There's a young grizzly bear roaming the campground, and no one can sleep outside. You'll have to sleep in the van, all of you. And also, you can't leave any food outside!".

Mmm... we looked at each other, and since we were so eager to visit Lake Louise and sail on it in our canoe, we said: "Ok. We'll manage!".

Yea... That's what we thought! First of all, I was terrified to walk around the place on my own, so each time I needed to go to the washroom, I asked one of the guys to accompany me... and they didn't like that at all, and teased me about it to no end *s*.

Second, the rain started around dinner time, and on top of us keeping an eye for the bear, we had to move stuff around so it won't get wet... and that wasn't fun at all!

And third... We all three slept in the van that night, and my poor brother had to stick himself on the floor between the front sits (he didn't agree to do it any other way), so in the morning he was aching all over.

After a short talk among ourselves we decided to leave. There was no point in staying there in this weather, and we decided we'll come back in few days, when the weather is sunny again... but we didn't want to leave without getting back our payment for the second night (which mostly is something that is not being done). So Joe went to the registration booth, and told the girl his wife (that's me) was terrified of the bear, and begged him to leave (yea right! *s*). They agreed to refund us only because of that "reason". "If it was because of the rain, we wouldn't refund you", they told Joe. Haha *s*...

A week later we went out to Lake Louise again, and while getting close to the campground we suddenly spotted a ranger car. They asked us to slow down and stop on the side of the road. We managed to have a glimpse of their doings... They were chasing away a grizzly bear, probably the same one who gave us grief a week before. My brother grabbed his camera and clicked... he didn't have more than few seconds, and then the bear vanished into the bushes.

And that was the first and only time we saw a grizzly bear.