A Very Beary Story

This account is about an incident that happened in Yellowstone today. My dear friend, Helen, and I left Cody around 515 a.m. It was a cold morning, and still dark, so we were joyful we had remembered to bring our jackets. As we left Cody, laughing and talking, while sipping our coffee that Helen had been so thoughtful to bring, we anticipated a great day at Yellowstone National Park.

As the truck rolled along the highway, winding it's way along North Fork Road, the sun began to crest the mountains. We dared not travel too far along the highway, sure that we might miss some wildlife just waking up to a new day. We had cameras ready, and also thought to bring a video camera, although we missed many wonderful opportunities to capture the wildlife in all it's glory, failing to remember we brought it. We pulled over to capture a few of the highlights in Shoshone National Forest, and eventually parked at the Wapiti Post Office to await the radiance of the sun, to guide us on our way.

I thought about what might await us as we neared the East Gate of the park. As Helen fumbled through her purse to find the valuable lifetime pass to enter the park without charge, I kept thinking about how we had not seen any wildlife, yet. I was sure hoping we might catch a glimpse of a black bear or grizzly. Little did I know...

After entering the park, I was at once on alert as I saw what I thought was a moose. We turned the truck around and took a closer look. Alas! it was a fallen tree with branches stretching forth it's limbs and fooling me into believing it was the much anticipated wildlife I had been searching for. We ventured on toward Silvan Pass. That was a place I dreaded.

Just in the past few months, Silvan pass had been the source of rock slides and a major mud slide. The powers that be, anticipated the heavy holiday traffic and was gracious enough to delay further construction for a week. Although the equipment sat silently near the road, and workers walked to and fro, there were no SLOW or STOP signs being flashed by the brave women normally seen in the area. We were quite content to slowly maneuver through the orange cones that dotted the road, and make progress through the much troubled Silvan Pass.

Shortly after escaping the orange obstacle course at Silvan Pass, we saw the signs of WILDLIFE! The cars ahead of us slowly rolled along the highway, with some cars completely stopped in the road. A Park Ranger motioned the cars to move forward and drive to the turnout so conveniently located just a short distance away. We immediately recognized the source of the attraction; a female grizzly bear walked lazily on the retaining wall beside the road.

I came to a stop for a mere second to snap this picture of the bear through my front windshield. The truck rolled slowly up the road, catching up with the bear. The car in front of me stopped, which caused me to apply my brakes and came to a slow pace beside the bear. Without warning, Helen rolled her window down, and attempted to focus her camera. I was in shock as the bear was only about 3 feet from the open window and a very vulnerable Helen. My eyes widened as I heard her say, "STOP! I WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE! "

I wasn't sure if Helen was talking to me or the bear! Helen Campbell, the lady that called me crazy when I stopped along side the road to take pictures of a grizzly bear standing 300 feet from my car? She was telling me, with her window down, camera in hand, to stop close enough to a bear that you could smell the unmistakable stench that oozes from a wild beast such as this! She was close enough that had she had a mind to, she could have reached out and touched the sow without stretching her arm outright!

As I slowed to a stop, a minor second of insanity, the bear slowly turned her head to look at Helen, eye to eye. She was close enough that she and Helen almost smooched! Now, she said the bear was turning to smile at her, posing for her photo. I pushed on the gas pedal and got the heck out of there. I knew that the sow was thinking, "You obviously don't have a clue that could take your head off with one swipe of my giant paw! Are you brave or st..." Well, the bear had to be in as much total disbelief as I was as she slowly turned her head to look at Helen.

We parked in a turnout, being legal and all, and quickly sprung out of the truck to view the giant bear as she continued her walk up the retainer wall, and then veering off up the hill, pausing to eat a few flowers. There was ample time to take many pictures, and I took advantage of the SAFE distance and chose my shots wisely.

We stood for about 15 minutes and watched the sow make her way up the mountain. I shivered as I saw a small cub ran to catch up with her mom. Not only was this large beast inches from Helen's face, but the sow had a small cub that she would fight fiercely to protect. Still reeling from the fact that our Helen, the play it safe Helen that I knew and loved, was daring enough to roll down her window, just inches from a large sows bicuspids, I saw the added danger of a cub. As we walked back to the pickup, I stopped, frozen in my tracks as Helen said, "I couldn't get my camera focused. I didn't get any pictures of the bear!"

Never again will I try to justify why I take a road less traveled, go mud sliding near the edge on a reservoir road, or curiously check out a rapid stream with a large cave nearby. I will not listen to Helen as she cautions me about taking pictures of a bear 300 FEET AWAY, or stop on the opposite side of the road to get a good picture of a bison.

Yes, our Helen has taught me the great courage of facing our fears, nose to nose! That, with camera in hand, if one will but only command the beast to stop, and inform the beast that only a picture is desired of it, there is no danger. Our Helen, growing into a real wildlife photographer, bring home the pictures from the front lines. We should take our cues from her and learn to be bolder and more aggressive in our pursuit of the perfect picture. You gotta love her!