The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

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JohnMD1022
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The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#1

Post by JohnMD1022 »

The Bear Facts
Twas the summer after graduation, when me and my good buddy Joe run the bear.

Now you have to understand about Joe. He was an OK guy, but maybe a little wacky. We were on the track team together in HS. But at the end of our junior year, it was suggested to Joe that the Army might be better than school. So Joe ran off to join the paratroopers, and I had to chase the girls on my own. This increased my odds of success, considerably, but that is a story for another time.

Joe and the paratroopers hit it off so well, that after only eight months, they offered him a General Discharge under Honorable Conditions, and Joe, feeling proud that he had done his duty to his country, decided to accept this, rather than their alternate offer of six months in the stockade.

So, Joe returned home for a while, and we picked up where we had left off, except Joe no longer attended classes. We went for long runs, raced, hung out and just generally had a good time until Joe decided to go to San Jose, California, and train with famed Hungarian distance running coach, Mihaly Igloi.

June rolled around, I graduated and had a summer job in a kid's clothing store. I ran a lot of races, that summer, too. My girlfriend threw me over shortly after the Senior Prom, so I was without the companionship of the fair and gentle kind.

Joe and I kept up a continuous correspondence about running, racing and rock climbing, until, near the start of August, another friend, Steve, told me he was getting out of the Marines, at Quantico, and driving home to San Francisco. His four years were up.

A plan was hatched. I would drive to San Francisco with Steve, meet Joe, and we would hitch hike to the Tetons to go climbing. And we did.

We had various adventures along the way, but eventually arrived in Jackson, Wyoming, just before Labor Day. A quick ride up the road, and we were in the Grand Teton National Park.

Joe and I were poor. We had some climbing gear, sleeping bags, cooking gear, but no tent. So we slept on the front porch of the little store at Jenny Lake.

There had been some snow at higher altitudes, and a couple of bears had moved down to the campground.

The Tetons were not like Yellowstone which was lousy with bears in those days. You hardly ever saw one. But these guys were doing all the regular bear-in-campground type stuff. Raiding coolers, tearing open tents, and just generally having a high old time. Joe and I, in the meantime, were also having a high old time. We were running up and down the cliffs, trying to get in as many climbs as we could.

We had also befriended two young ladies who were staying in the campground. They were a year older than us, returning to college for their sophomore year, but as we were the only guys even remotely in their age group, we hooked up and got along.We hadn't managed to get invited into their tent for the night, but we were kind of gently nudging them in that direction. Or thought we were, which, at that age, is probably just as good.

Anyway, Joe and I checked out one afternoon to do a climb the next morning, had supper with the girls and sat around on the camp ground logs for a while. We were holding hands and lip wrestling, with all the accompanying gropings, fumblings, whisperings and sighs engaged in by young people who have never 'Gone All the Way' , but are extremely interested in the subject, even as they are a bit short on the details of actual accomplishment. I believe parents termed it 'Petting'; we called it 'Makin' Out'.

Later, they went to the tent, and we went to the front porch. We were lying there, in our sleeping bags, about half asleep, when a young bear started up the path to the store. I said 'Hah, Bear', and off he went. And we settled down to a good night's sleep.

When we woke up, the sky was just starting to lighten. Rain had moved in, and we could see fresh snow at the higher elevations. We knew the rock would be cold and wet, maybe even icy. Wet rock is one thing, but ice we were not prepared for. Fitfully, we discussed whether or not to get our gear together and go, or settle in for another hour or so of sleep. Several minutes often passed between sentences.

Suddenly, the bear appeared from around the corner of the building, and stepped up onto the porch. He stepped over the end of my sleeping bag, stepped on Joe's foot, and went off the other end of the porch.
He then started trying to tear open the food locker of the store employees.

Over the next few days, the fun continued. Several tents and coolers were raided, and the Rangers had the traps out. Then, one morning, right after breakfast, the bear appeared outside the store. Someone yelled at him, and he scampered up a large pine tree. A crowd quickly gathered as people gawked and photographed the bear. Joe and I ran up and got the girls so they wouldn't miss the show.

After a bit, the crowd got bored, and people wandered off in different directions to get on with their lives. Since we had none, we stood around until the bear descended and walked off across the campground. We followed.

Our action seemed to disconcert the bear, and he began to move faster. We kept pace. He went faster. So did we. Soon, he was trotting and we were jogging. He started to step up the pace. Likewise for us. He began to reach for distance, showing some real leg for the first time. But we were up to the challenge.

The bear was about flat out by now, and we were running fairly hard. He ran up a small hill, and as he reached the top, he looked back over his left shoulder at us. The fate of nations has hinged on less, for...

Just over the top of the hill was camped a troop of Boy Scouts.

They had a large WWII surplus mess tent with the sidewalls in sections. The bear hit the seam at full speed, and popped inside. It was like squirting a watermelon seed from between your fingers. One second, outside; the next, inside. Joe and I assumed nonchalant poses, and walked off toward the road.

For about ten seconds, total silence. Then a din to resurrect the dead. Yelling, screaming, the clash and clatter of pots and pans came from the tent. The little bear hit the egress at a full swing, showing a remarkable turn of speed. Across the meadow he went until he reached the safety of another tree, perhaps a half mile away, up which he scurried.

We were younger then, and it was a long way away.

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GerardH
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#2

Post by GerardH »

Wow, this was a gem tucked away here. Loved the recounting of your adventure!

As an aside, I was a pretty decent distance runner back in the day -- so I really appreciated those commonalities.

The spoils of youth...

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JohnMD1022
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#3

Post by JohnMD1022 »

What part of the country?

I ran the Washington DC races after HS (1961-62), then was with the Los Angeles Track Club (1963-66).

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GerardH
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#4

Post by GerardH »

High school and college in Wisconsin in the 1970s and early '80s, my post-collegiate career was based in the Twin Cities and I stayed competitive until the very early '90s before I called it a career.

driftless angler
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#5

Post by driftless angler »

Loved it!

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teter
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#6

Post by teter »

What a great tale! Thanks and Happy New Year.

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wctc1
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#7

Post by wctc1 »

Wonderful, excellent, must smile writing. Many thanks for a true tale of daring-do !

billems
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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#8

Post by billems »

Great story. Oh to be again young!

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Re: The Bear Facts (Non-Fishing)

#9

Post by billems »

Once, during a period of divorce, I briefly consulted a therapist. I mentioned going camping, and he said he hadn't since he was a child. When I asked why he hadn't, he told me that a Montana grizzly stormed into his father's camp, tore into his tent, and yanked him by the head across the campsite before droppping him! I told him I understood why he became a head-shrinker!

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