SWEET CRAP I HAD A RUN-IN WITH A REAL, LIVE BEAR!!!

Okay, I have so much to write about between what I last posted, which was the calf, and now. But my wi-fi is for shit right now so all of it's stored on my laptop and in the meantime I'm at a laundromat with internet access and I HAVE to write about this:

Last night I was in Glacier National Park. It was about 6:00 pm and still light outside, because I'm so far north the sum doesn't set until 10:30. So it's bright as hell and I was hiking to Running Eagle Falls, a beautiful waterfall near the southeast end of the park. As I was finished hiking, I got in my car and headed towards the campground. At that time of night, I was the only person around for about a mile, I'm pretty sure. I crossed a bridge over Two Medicine River and there, not fifty feet from the bridge, on the righthand side of the road, really close to me, was a tiny black bear cub.

A BLACK BEAR CUB! SO CUTE! AND NOT IN A ZOO!

So I stop the car and grab my camera. He sees me, stands up on his adorable hind legs, and then starts climbing a tree. I open the door and start to get out of the car, looking behind the tree for his mama. I'm nearly out of the car when I finally look to my left, on the other side of the road. And there she is. Right behind me, and about 15 feet away. Standing up, HUGE, and looking at me, and then she dropped to all fours and started walking towards me in a less-than-friendly manner. I ABOUT SHIT MY PANTS! I sat back down and closed the door (now, bear in mind, the window is open all the way, so she could have easily walked right up and bitch slapped me) but once I was in the car she realized that I was no longer a threat, so she stopped walking directly towards me and instead walked in front of my car, brushing her shoulder up against the hood, that's how close she was! And no sooner did she cross the road, than another little cub came darting across the road, with his skinny little legs and fuzzy butt, oh it was so cute!

I was shaking and frightened, but laughing and nearly crying and every other thing you can think of! It was the scariest, yet most awe-inspiring, cutest thing I've ever seen! I got a picture of the mama and the second baby, once they were both on the other side of the road. It's a really crappy picture, because my hands were shaking so badly, but you can still make out that it's a bear and a bear cub.

Later on, hiking up to Old Man Lake, I thought about the advice the rangers dole out on how to deal with bears if they approach you. "Clap your hands and yell," they say. But now, having lived through it, I can honestly say that clapping and yelling were the furthest things from my mind at that moment. I clap my hands and go, "WOOOO!" at birthday parties and concerts. But watching an angry bear advance towards me? That's not really a joyous occasion! It doesn't make me want to clap my hands in a festive manner! Soil myself, maybe, but not clap!

Whew! Even writing about it now I'm getting shaky! Exciting stuff, this road trip!