Yesterday i decided that today i would make it all the way to the end of Perseverance Trail, and i did! It is a 3 mile trail to an elevation of 700' (not high for Juneau).
I was so excited to reach the end, i felt a real sense of accomplishment. It was a beautiful morning and i got to enjoy the trail early (i left the house at 6:30 am) in quiet solitude (i saw 2 women walking out with their dogs, and one runner passed me heading in, but headed out soon after).
While nearing the end of the trail, i came across what i assumed to be a pile of bear scat. Next to the giant pile was a smaller pile.
I actually wondered to myself, what little animal would poop next to a big bear? You would think the answer would have been obvious, but at that moment in time, the answer (baby bear!) did not occur to me. I made it to the end of the trail, relaxed on the platforms for a few minutes and then headed back. I passed the same scat again thinking how glad i was to have my little bell to alert bears to my presence. Well, i guess the bell wasn't loud enough this morning...
As i turned a corner a bear emerged from the brush. She was so beautiful! She had a flower stuck behind her ear and was chewing on another as she walked. I immediately froze, but kept ringing my bell. I slowly pulled my phone out of my pocket to snap a couple pictures. I was nervous because i felt a little trapped, but not scared yet and i hoped the bear would amble off in the other direction. After a few seconds two of the most adorable little bear cubs tumbled out of the bush, that's when i got scared! I've heard a lot about bears and bear safety since moving here. I felt like i knew what to do (make a lot of noise, don't run, give the bear space, watch out for mothers and cubs...), but a mother bear protecting her cubs scares me. I wanted to talk to her and say, "Please let me by, i have 2 cubs waiting at home for me!" I also wanted to walk up to the little cubs and play, thankfully i was able to control that impulse!! I watched her lead her cubs on the path away from me. When she no longer was looking at me, i doubled back on the trail for a few minutes to give her some space. I was actually hoping to find the Red Mill Trail (which would have led me away from the direction the bears were traveling), but realized it was on the other side of Mama Bear. I sucked up every ounce of courage i could find (i think most of it was back on the ground where i first saw the bear!) and headed back towards home. I shook my bell and sang Ode to Joy (it was the only think i could think of due to a recent episode of "Little Einsteins" I had watched with the twins) as if my life depended on it. I walked very slowly through the area where i had seen them constantly scanning the brush for any sign of them. The only thing i saw was another (new!) pile of scat.
In Juneau, this is a pretty common story... In sharing my story today, i heard others, but this is a first for me! I have so enjoyed seeing the bears from a distance, and i hope to keep a safe distance between the bears and myself from now on!
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