A Great Destinaton, With An Unexpected Outcome!

by Frank
(Pomoma, CA, USA)

A couple of years ago I was in Northern California sightseeing in the Del Norte Redwoods State Park. This is a great destination; and while I was in the area, I decided to visit the Trees of Mystery.

They have a Sky Trail Tramway that I used to go up the hill to view the redwood trees and the distant ocean.

When you take this tram, you can either ride back down the way you came or use a hiking trail to get back down the mountain. My wife rode the tram, and I took the trail back down.

This was an interesting hike. The operators of the tram look you over to see if you are in “good enough shape” to complete it. They then give you a sturdy walking stick and send you on your way.

The trail is so steep that, at places, you have to use a rope to repel down! What a kick!

Anyway, I was about one-half to two-thirds of the way down when I looked over the cliff and spotted a black bear wandering up MY trail… at least I thought it COULD have been the trail I was using!

Well, I was not about to hike back up this mountain… so I pressed on. I was thinking that if this bear was on my trail, I may need a band-aid before I got off of the mountain.

To make a long story short, he WAS on my trail. After walking about one-third of mile further along this path, I came to a sharp turn to the right. There was a big bush blocking my view around this corner. I was thinking that if that bear was coming my way, he would be just around this bend.

So, I decided to make some noise by smacking my stick on the ground repeatedly. It was a good thing that I did because he was there; and if I had walked around this corner, I would have probably bumped into his nose.

Anyway, after hearing the racket I made with my stick, he took off in a straight line through the brush and brambles. He made his own special trail.

After that, I felt that I dodged the bullet. However, I also thought it was pretty cool… it is not too often that you meet a bear in the wild!

Sorry, I didn't get a picture...