Day 92

Weather:
Sunny, no rain.

Today’s Hike:
Birds Nest #3 Hut to Elkwallow - 11.8 miles

Imagine you were hiking along, focused on the trail when suddenly at small fuzzy fur ball crosses your path. Given the size and color you think it's a raccoon so you inch closer to see if you can get a picture. Suddenly you see two more of these "racoons" dart up a nearby tree, and it hits you; the raccoon isn't a raccoon it's a bear cub. And it's not just one bear cub, it's three bear cubs. You feel a knot form in the pit of your stomach and your heart starts racing; the same way it does when you were a kid and you just got caught doing something bad. You take a quick glance around for mama bear, but she nowhere in your line of sight. The knot tightens and your heart starts beating faster as you slowly turn around and meet the eyes mama. She's 400+ pounds of muscle and is a leap away from your scrawny hiker self. You slowly back away and apologize profusely. Not until you're 100 yards away do you nervously turn around with the camera to snap a few memorable pictures. This was Muster 0.5 miles away from Elkwallow this afternoon.

Not far behind her was me, also focused ok the trail and the food I would soon be inhaling at Elkwallow. We had hiked 11 miles, it was almost 2pm, and we hadn't stopped to eat lunch yet. I had just passed the spring which was 0.5 miles short of our afternoon destination. As I rounded the corner there was the day hiker that had passed me about a mile back. "There's a bear and three cubs. I don't see the cubs." I inched my way closer keeping my eyes peeled for her and the cubs. Before I knew it there I was 15 yards from mama, who never took hers eyes off me. I still didn't know where the cubs were and I didn't want to put myself between her and them. "There are the cubs, coming down the tree behind her." I told the hiker, "I wish my friend was here to see this." No sooner had I said those words did I hear Muster yell down from above. As we met up we swapped bear stories, and made our way to Elkwallow for a late lunch and cold beer.