Day 45 Lions and Tigers and BEARS, OH MY!

I've had bears on the brain lately. It probably doesn't help that my boss keeps giving me "bear clips" to license.

I remember the first time I went camping in "bear country." We went to Sequoia National Park. We arrived very late to the campground and set up our tent as quickly as we could so that we could get a decent amount of sleep before the sun came up. That was the first time my campsite had a "bear proof container"

I slept, on edge that whole night, just knowing that there were bears looming around. Every sound I heard, whether it was someone walking to the bathroom, or a bug flying into the tent walls, I was aware of it all. Thank goodness, its Black Bear country, and not Grizzly Bear country, cause I could never do it then.

I've never seen a bear in the wild. They have all been behind glass or bars.

And I'd be lying to say that I want to... but at the same time, I kinda don't want to. Once when I was at Yosemite sleeping in housekeeping camp, our next tent neighbor said she saw a little guy crossing the Merced River just feet away from our site. YAY! I said with fright and disappointment.

I'm told I'm sure to see bears on the half dome Hike. Especially around "Little Yosemite Valley" at night. There is even a blog about the rangers who chase the black bears out of the campsites at Yosemite Village.

http://jeffreytrust.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/a-sneaky-bear/

I'll be sure to be armed with a bear bell when I start hiking. Perhaps I'll make a HUMUNGOUS bear bell to alert all the bears in all the acres of Yosemite NP (all 747,956 acres or 1,169 square miles) to stay away!