Bear Chasing

I believe I may have a problem.  OK enough with your smart remarks.  Don't think I can't hear you.  I think that bears are attracted to me.  For example, last Saturday I ran into yet another bear.  That makes 4 bears this Late Summer/Fall.  FOUR BEARS!!  Four I tell you!

Which one of you guys put the honey under my seat?

1. August 17, 2011 bear crosses the road in Payson Canyon
2. August 17, 2011 bear on the side hill, Jones Ranch trail behind Payson Lakes
3. September 24, 2011 Cottonwood Canyon/2nd Water I startle a bear 15 feet away
4. October 1, 2011 I chase a bear down the Stumpjumper trail in  Payson Canyon

Photo credit here

That is what the bear looked like as I came blasting down the Stumpjumper Trail in Payson Canyon.  I quickly came around a corner to see a very large brown colored Black Bear running at full throttle away from me down the single track trail.  After chasing the bear for a little while, and not realizing what was happening, I came to a skidding (in this case I don't care if skidding is bad form) stop as to not run right onto the bear in the trail.  The bear was so large that it took up the entire width of space allowed for the trail making it impossible to see around the bear as it ran away.  I watched in astonishment at the bear run away.  Another bear.  I couldn't believe it.

Shortly thereafter Jesse, Dave G., and some other local downhillers showed up at the scene.  There on the trail was either slobber marks, or urination marks complete with bear tracks going down the trail.  I couldn't help to be grateful for two scenarios.

1. My mind was stuck pondering the fact that an hour before, I was riding up this same trail in the pitch blackness of the early morning semi-alone as I was leading ride up this trail.  I was glad to not have came upon the bear then.
2. It was 7:30am.  If we would have started the Cow Pie Crank at 7am somebody in the group would have been climbing the trail towards the bear as the local downhillers would be descending said trail.  The bear would have taken any rider out like a bowling ball to pins.

I just remembered I 2 years ago I did come across a black bear in the La Sal mountains a couple feet away from me as it was sitting on the side of a dirt road on which I was riding.  It quickly ran away.  So on a historical level that would bring my lifetime bear sighting while riding total to Five.

You can call me "Bear Bait" or just "Bait" for short if you like.

Want to go on a ride? 

Tomorrow the 2011 Cow Pie Crank report