Bear Encounter!
Posted by SCC on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009.“Guys. Bear. Guys. . . .”
We were hiking up the Ory Canyon Trail in Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, bear country! My crew leader, another crew member and I all stopped and turned around. We looked over at the guy who had called “bear!” and then over to the spot where he was pointing. There standing about 30 feet away from us in a clump of trees, was a bear. We all began to come together in a clump, clapping our hands and making noise. But the bear continued to sit and stare at us. We quieted down and just began to observe. Finally the bear began to move again, just rummaging around on the ground for acorns. We continued to watch him. It was a very peaceful encounter, just two different branches of nature watching each other and co-existing without conflict or harm. The person who first spotted the bear sites this as one of the scariest moments of his life. I’ll admit I was a little scared at first, but it turned into awe as the bear and we continued to remain so close to each other. It was amazing to see wildlife so intimately and so peacefully, and it’s an experience I will never forget.
Crew #107
Megan Schneider
SCC Sonoran Desert Crew Member
