New2view's Blog   Life on The Blue Marble

I had just landed at the Nakusp B.C. airstrip located right next to the local community dump. It was a few miles from the village and completely isolated.

My younger brother was supposed to pick me up there, however he had not arrived on time. So I hefted a back pack of some personal gear and started down what appeared to be a back road toward the main road and highway from the airstrip.

Immediately I observed another individual walking along the same roadway just a 200′ or so ahead. Indeed it was a full grown black bear. As I hesitated to follow along behind him, or her, it looked back over its shoulder at me. No doubt more easily aware of me than I was of it.

Of course I can only imagine what it’s thoughts were, mine were somewhat frozen. I thought the backpack may have been somewhat interesting to this beast, even without food. In any case I definitely declined to continue following it, and back stepped back towards my airplane.

Soon I realized my encounter was not alone, the local dump had numerous competing resident bears. Needless to say I was now a little traumatized. So when a pickup truck with a young couple came along I waved them down and very thankfully got a safe ride to the main road where i eventually connected with my negligent brother!