Bear!

Bob Burns said:

So, I was biking on the Pine Creek Rail Trail here in central PA a few days
ago when I met a bear! I saw this large black critter on the trail, so
squeezed brakes. The squeak of the brake got his attention. He turned and
sat up and looked me right in the eye. Definite bear- round ears, etc. Not
real big- maybe twice the size of a Lab. I was thinking maybe I ought to
turn the bike around when he decided to leave- up the side of the mountain.

Another good reason to put on Koolstop brake pads and don't quite
adjust the squeal out of them!

FWIW, the 300-600 pound bears in historical accounts of the
Appalachians are mostly gone. A 200 pound bear is a big bear anymore.
And most of the time they'll run before you do, unless there's a cub
involved.

I rode right past one about 15-20' from the road in the Smokies in
May. My daughter saw it; I came back to look. After a few more
seconds, it woofed and headed into the brush.

Pat

Email address works as is.

Bob Burns said:

So, I was biking on the Pine Creek Rail Trail here in central PA a few days
ago when I met a bear! I saw this large black critter on the trail, so
squeezed brakes. The squeak of the brake got his attention. He turned and
sat up and looked me right in the eye. Definite bear- round ears, etc. Not
real big- maybe twice the size of a Lab. I was thinking maybe I ought to
turn the bike around when he decided to leave- up the side of the mountain.

From what I know, black bears are actually pretty shy and not known to
be dangerous, unless perhaps they have cubs nearby. I've known people
who have gotten quite close to them and they usually just turn and go
away. I've heard that bears are drawn by the smell of citronella-
probably don't wear the stuff when in the woods. It smells like Pledge
anyways.

Last September, I was coming down a road from the foothills and
surprised a large Black Bear on the shoulder. It tried twice to climb a
fence and was so fat, it fell back-----I estimate it weighed about 500
lbs. I turned around and followed it back up the road, until it ducked
into a farmhouse driveway. About 100 feet farther down the road was a
freshly-killed fawn. The bear had smelled it and was on its way to
dinner. Bears are common visitors to bird feeders around here and
smoked bear hams are a hillbilly delight.

Night bike workouts in the hills always have something of interest
like this. There's a couple of spots where Coyotes gather and when I
give a rendition of their yodeling howl, they usually answer me.

Steve McDonald
Oregon

I came across a large bear while touring in the Canadian Rockies a number of
years ago. He was hanging out along the tree line just a few yards from the
road. I sure was glad he didn't take an interest in me as I pedaled (slowly)
past him.

He was probably a Grizzly, but wasn't taking detailed notes at the time.

Chris Neary
[email hidden]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh