Make the most of it!

I intend to! It's my Christmas present from my sister--2 to 10 days in one or more National Parks in the lower 48. I chose Yellowstone/Grand Teton for a week since she hadn't been to either. I went to Yellowstone about 20 years ago on a trip through Montana and Wyoming with my Dad, but we didn't go into Grand Teton even though we went to Jackson Hole (my dad wasn't a hiker).

I totally want to go to Yellowstone.

I've had tons of experience with California brown bears, but of course none with a Grizzly.

When I worked at an assisted living complex (for seniors) in the 1990s, the daughter of one of our residents, was this woman: [link]

She was awesome. She visited all the time. She told me that the only thing she really, really resented was never being able to feel her baby's skin with her fingertips. Oh, and someone gave her child a teddy bear. That went right into the trash. She laughed when she told me that.

When we were camping in the Moroccan anti-atlas we were incredibly careless with the cleanliness of our campsite and left dirty dishes outside the tent. Something sizeable went through them while we were zipped up inside there, and to this day we haven't been able to work out what lived in the territory that was that big and noisy.

I don't camp anymore. Maybe I should stop going to bed too.

My brother got married in Jackson Hole a few years back (okay, six), and we went hiking in the Grand Teton a bit while we were there. No bears, but we did see some moose. It was cool. So beautiful, that country.

So beautiful, that country.

Agreed. My dad and brother often camped and fished (last year, dad had a heart incident that had him in the Jackson Hole hospital ICU for a bit while camping) there. One year, I joined them and my mom (reluctant camper). While they were fishing, I came across a moose and was super excited. My dad? "Yeah. There are a lot of them. Want some fish?"

My dad = not impressed with charismatic megafauna.

That was the same year that my brother and SIL saw a bear print in the river bed. To illustrate the differences between me and my family, my brother went back and got a gun and went back to the river. I went to get plaster of paris so I could make a bear print impression.

We've had two black bear sightings here in town this summer--one at a park by the river and one near our house--another park.

Not to big--between 300-400lbs but not cubs, either. As long as they keep moving, they're ok. But if they decide to stop, the get tranqed and relocated.

Someone got mauled by a bear in my hometown last month, walking her dog by a dumpster the bear was rummaging through. She's still in critical care. Don't think the dog survived.

Bears. America's #1 threat.

I wore red and black today in pure defiance. But I'm a rebel like that. I also wear lots of harvest tones I know don't work on me, but it's not my fault, because damn technical clothing never comes in sapphire blues. Manufacturers believe that if I'm outdoorsy, I must also be an autumn.

Bears. America's #1 threat.

They are godless killing machines after all.

Manufacturers believe that if I'm outdoorsy, I must also be an autumn.

Well, I imagine it does help hide you from the bears.

Ryan has learned brown bears and polar bears. Not infallible at distinguishing between the two, though. And, strictly, he calls the polar bears "powai bears", powai being what he calls his grandma. Matilda will be happy to know that on more than one occasion he has called his grandma "Powai Bear".