Some Mountain Critters and Bear Advice

Life is plentiful here--big horned sheep, mountain goats, moose, elk, lots of ground squirrels (which bears feast on just before hibernating), and bears.  Black bears. Brown bears.  Grizzly bears. Big, hairy bears. 

   This Mountain Goat caught sight of me before I could get a good photo

At some point in the summer, bears get an internal signal that tells them to eat more fat to prepare for hibernation.  Ground squirrels are a good source of fat, and bears dig wildly to get at them.  Dirt and boulders pose no impediment to a fat-frenzied bear. 

That hole in the ground, according to our guide, was created by a hungry bear digging to get at a ground squirrel or marmot like the ones pictured below.  Imagine a 400+ pound bear with three-inch claws moving soil out of her way to get to dinner...that hole is what's left.

 Ground squirrel (looks a little like a chipmunk, but it is a ground squirrel).

Ground squirrels and their cousins, the marmots, are very common here. Marmots are also related to prairie dogs and have similar behaviors.  Yellow-bellied marmots communicate with each other by chattering or whistling and with body language, much like their prairie dog cousins. The marmot will alert others about predators, or make noise to try to frighten the threat away.

Marmot watchman

This marmot isn't happy to see us.  I'm not sure if the ‘sentinel’ is warning others or trying to scare me. I ain't scared o' no marmot.

But that hole that a bear dug to get at one puny ground squirrel, and the bear claw marks I've see on some trees ...

Bear Claw Marks 

I am scared of bears.  I kind of I regret that I don't have more exciting wildlife pictures, but the truth is that a good wildlife photographer isn't marching through the woods, talking and making noise.  That's what keeps the animals away.  The good photographer sits quietly in one place, camera ready, waiting.  From what I remember in polar bear country,  the wildlife photographer is accompanied by someone with a powerful tranquilizer gun in case the subject gets hostile or feisty.  

Nope, that isn't me.  So I am simultaneously pleased and sorry to tell you that I didn't get any good bear photos. 

One evening sitting around the lodge, I hear a story that I've since found every hiker knows, but it was new to me, a fairly novice hiker at the time.  

As two guys are setting off for a hike, one is lacing up running shoes, and the other asks "Why are you putting on running shoes?" 

"In case we meet a bear," replies the runner.

"You can't outrun a bear," laughs the first guy.

 "Noooo, but I can outrun you....."

So the slower hiker may be 'bait' (and all that time I thought they were calling me  'Babe")

This is a quick but important recap of 'bear safety' advice: 

 - stay with the group;
 - make noise --(bears don't like to be startled; they hear you, they leave);

- don't mess with cubs---'awww look how cute' can bring Mama bear running. And nothing will stop her from protecting her cubs.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating (couldn’t resist)  If you *do* confront a bear,   pull yourself up to your full height, raise your arms over your head to look taller, lower your eyes, and make noise.  (Those of you who know how tall I am can stop laughing now.)

I want to see bears... I wanted to see them through my zoom lens, outside the lodge, while I am safely inside.  All I have is these stories.  I sort of want to keep it that way.

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