Grandfather's Gifts: The Bear

My Son and I were returning from a work trip to Oregon and decided to go through Yellowstone National Park on our way home. It is October and the passes around the park are just about to close. A few days before you would have needed snow tires and chains to negotiate the roads in the park. But they were cleared and melted by the time we arrived.



Soon inside the park we were visited by a Raven. My son's totem is the Raven so he talked with Grandfather and feed him some bread and beef jerky. Then he asked Grandfather for gifts. He asked to see Elk, Bison, Moose, Wolves, and Bear today as we explored Yellowstone. Grandfather Raven was generous and granted almost all of his request.

Here is the meeting with the Bear. The Grizzly Bear.


It was late in the day. The light was failing. We were almost out of the park at the East gate. Then we saw two cars stopped by the side of the road ahead. I looked through the trees and saw the bear.


It was a grizzly. About 150 yards towards the south of the road.


It was far enough away to make us feel safe, but close enough that I might get pictures. We stopped.


Out of the car with a good 8 mb camera and telephoto lens I began to take pictures. The bear was digging up tubers and eating them at a prodigious rate. Fortunately his route of travel was parallel to the road we were on so that he stayed a constant distance away.

We stayed with him for 20 minutes. It was getting overcast and the light was going. We left him reluctantly and went on our way.
Thank you Grandfather for the gift.

More about the other animals in future post.