[pct-l] Re: Monster bear

[CMountainDave at aol.com (CMountainDave@xxxxxxx)]

Okay, lets assume the story is totally false. There are 1600 pound 12' 
monster grizzlies out there ( no, not on the PCT but maybe in Yellowstone)and I 
think it is wise to fear them and still shudder at the thought of running into one 
of them on a backpacking outing with or without a gun.(No, I don't even own a 
gun)
 Once I went on a climbing trip to Glacier National Park. I started down an 
established  trail to my climbing route when I came across a sign that said 
trail closed  past a certain point due to grizzly harrasment of fishermen. I left 
the trail before the closure and went in a different direction to get to a 
summit that involved a lot of difficult climbing . When I rerached the summit I 
could see the lake that they were talking about, and was faced with a 
difficult choice:  Take a perilous down climb the way I came up or descend a much 
easier way to the closed trail. I looked long and hard for that grizzly, could not 
see him and decided to go for the trail. One could see the entire trail due 
to lack of tree cover. Of course, when I got to the trail and started back to 
the trailhead I ran into --- no not the bear but a ranger. I decided to play 
dumb. "Why are you on this closed trail" he thundered. "It is?",I asked 
incredulously. "Didn't you see the obvious sign?" he said scowling mightily, taking 
out his citation book. "What sign? I wasn't on the trail. I climbed Mt Reynolds 
from the other side and just descended." He was impressed that I had climbed 
it solo and proceeded to ask questions about the climb and explain why the 
trail was closed. Whew, a close one!