Day 46 - First Bear Sighting!

(Originally written on Friday, June 19)

 

It was my second day in the Sierras, but first full day.  I can already tell the differences in the environment around me quite a bit.  Less chapparel (desert shrubs) and more real trees (like pine and fir, for example).  There are actually naturally-occuring water sources less than 30 miles away from each other (only a slight exaggeration).  And today, I had my first bear sighting!

 

I had gotten a late start because I was so tired from the night before, so by the time 11 a.m. rolled around, I had only gone about 7-8 miles.  I was enjoying a breakand refilling my water bottles at Spanish Needle Creek when I heard a CRACK! behind me.  I turned around and the bear saw me at the same time and the next thing I saw was the backside of a bear scampering off down the trail in the direction I had just come from and also the direction of two other hikers behind me (but I don't think they were very close).  Anyway, I was startled but kind of excited...in a heightened-awareness-of-my-surroundings type of way.  I continued filling up my water bottles but with a more watchful eye and about 100 yards up the mountain in the opposite direction was another bear!  At least I think it was another bear, because he looked bigger than the one I had seen five minutes earlier.  But then again, I did only see him running away so it might have been the same one.  Regardless, it was my first time seeing a bear out in the wild!  I was actually happy about seeing it, because, kind of like rattlesnakes, I know they are there and see me so I just want to see them too!

 

After that excitement had worn off, I kept at it, trying to whittle down the number of miles to Kennedy Meadows to under 20 so that I could be fairly certain I'd be able to get there at a decent hour on Saturday.  So here I am, camped at Fox Mill Spring, after a 20.1 mile day.  Assuming I'm able to hammer out the 19.2 miles to Kennedy Meadows tomorrow, this will be my last night camping in the Southern California segment--the longest segment of the trail.