This past weekend I went camping at Wawayanda. On Friday after riding a little on Laurel pond and a bit on the Pumphouse Trail, my novice friends decided it was a bit too rocky and headed back to the campsite. After a quick look at the map, I figured I’d complete a loop around the lake first and meet them back at camp. My friend Sam took this picture as I left
One mile of biking and a half mile of hiking later I found myself in a relatively remote part of the park and I hear a rustling to the left. About 30 yards in front of me I see a juvenile bear run across the trail. He went most of the way up the hill on my left, sat on a rock, and just stayed there looking at me. Not wanting to stick around I rode calmly down the trail.
On Sunday I set out on my own again to follow the race course. Just after the right onto cherry ridge road from laurel pond I hear another ruckus and see 3 black fuzz balls go up a tree. Next, I see one huge mama bear stand up on her hind legs by the base of the tree. I backed down the trail slowly until they were out of view. This time I pulled my camera out and walked up the trail slowly. The cubs had already climbed down the tree by the time they came back into view. I took the first shot without zooming in and they were out of frame when I took the second.
I was by that first rock on the right when I first saw them.
Cropped and enlarged
Rather than chase them down cherry ridge I decided to do the race loop as a figure 8 to give them enough time to clear out of the area.
When I came back through they were long gone. I turned onto the red dot trail and started heading back. I came to the split in the red dot trail and headed to the right. As I started climbing, I was thinking how cool it was that I saw a bear, but that maybe I shouldn’t be out here alone. I wonder if anyone in Wawayanda ever gets atta…. I’m stopped mid thought just before I reach the top of the climb. Something isn’t quite right in the woods. I quickly look to the right and see a Mama bear and her cub 15 feet directly to my right. They’re just standing there looking at me, not running, not going up a tree, not standing on their back legs……just staring at me.
Shit…I go to take off, but I’m still in a low gear. I try to shift too many gears at once and my first spin of the crank propels me exactly nowhere. Oh please don’t drop the chain, pretty please don’t drop. Finally a cog holds, my body shifts slightly backwards as the bike accelerates beneath me, but I hold on and shoot off down the trail.
Now, I’m really moving. Down the trail I go. I’m pretty sure mama wouldn’t follow me down the trail. With me far away from her cub she’d have no reason to chase, but curiosity, or maybe anxiety gets the best of me and I look back over my shoulder. Phew, no bears in sight. Relieved, I turn back around in time to see the 8th and final bear of the weekend run across the trail 20 yards in front of me.
I don’t think I’ll be doing any solo rides here anytime soon.
One mile of biking and a half mile of hiking later I found myself in a relatively remote part of the park and I hear a rustling to the left. About 30 yards in front of me I see a juvenile bear run across the trail. He went most of the way up the hill on my left, sat on a rock, and just stayed there looking at me. Not wanting to stick around I rode calmly down the trail.
On Sunday I set out on my own again to follow the race course. Just after the right onto cherry ridge road from laurel pond I hear another ruckus and see 3 black fuzz balls go up a tree. Next, I see one huge mama bear stand up on her hind legs by the base of the tree. I backed down the trail slowly until they were out of view. This time I pulled my camera out and walked up the trail slowly. The cubs had already climbed down the tree by the time they came back into view. I took the first shot without zooming in and they were out of frame when I took the second.
I was by that first rock on the right when I first saw them.
Cropped and enlarged
Rather than chase them down cherry ridge I decided to do the race loop as a figure 8 to give them enough time to clear out of the area.
When I came back through they were long gone. I turned onto the red dot trail and started heading back. I came to the split in the red dot trail and headed to the right. As I started climbing, I was thinking how cool it was that I saw a bear, but that maybe I shouldn’t be out here alone. I wonder if anyone in Wawayanda ever gets atta…. I’m stopped mid thought just before I reach the top of the climb. Something isn’t quite right in the woods. I quickly look to the right and see a Mama bear and her cub 15 feet directly to my right. They’re just standing there looking at me, not running, not going up a tree, not standing on their back legs……just staring at me.
Shit…I go to take off, but I’m still in a low gear. I try to shift too many gears at once and my first spin of the crank propels me exactly nowhere. Oh please don’t drop the chain, pretty please don’t drop. Finally a cog holds, my body shifts slightly backwards as the bike accelerates beneath me, but I hold on and shoot off down the trail.
Now, I’m really moving. Down the trail I go. I’m pretty sure mama wouldn’t follow me down the trail. With me far away from her cub she’d have no reason to chase, but curiosity, or maybe anxiety gets the best of me and I look back over my shoulder. Phew, no bears in sight. Relieved, I turn back around in time to see the 8th and final bear of the weekend run across the trail 20 yards in front of me.
I don’t think I’ll be doing any solo rides here anytime soon.
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