Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Bear


Click for larger image

In addition to being a bad fly fisherman, I am also a bad mountain biker. If there is an opposite of "Hardcore" then that's me. My bike has more in common with a Barbie banana-seat special than a real mountain bike, and by that I mean that I have most of the completely uncool bike features such as:

  • Kick stand
  • Fat Seat
  • Thumb Bell
  • Old Timey Fenders

Anyway, yesterday morning, in the record heat, I put on my helment and started my bike down the Deer Creek Trail. The Trail goes DOWN DOWN DOWN and then its flat and then it goes UP UP UP. I'm so lame I can't ride UP that stretch so I was pushing my bike. In the heat, sweating and already tired. I was half-way UP when I heard something in the bushes to my left. I figured it was a deer (since it was Deer Creek) but as the noise-maker came into view I saw that it was, indeed a black bear, about 50 feet downhill from me.

What to do? If I turned around I could hop on my bike and be out of there in a second with no worries. But then I'd have to climb the WHOLE hill again on the way out. The bear was facing the other way, so I quietly kept on pushing even though I really wanted to take a break.

When I finally turned a corner I engaged my kickstand (quietly) and lay down on a rock to catch my breath. After a few minutes I was on my way.

First thing when I got home I changed my shorts.

Just kidding about that last part. A little too exciting nonetheless.

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