Yogi or Booboo?

Bears have always been an important part of our family’s lives. All of our travels to and from Wyoming passed through Yellowstone. There we visited with Ranger Smith – the real Ranger Smith – not the one from the cartoon.

In the 60’s we saw lots of bears in Yellowstone. When we stayed at the cabins the bears came to check out the garbage cans at night. We saw them along the roads – cars pulled over; windows rolled down – people feeding them!

The last bears I saw in the wild were in Yellowstone less than a decade ago between Mammoth and Cooke City on the NE Entrance Road. It was a black bear sow with a cub in the tree. Even with the danger I joined the crowd walking down the side of the road – looking down the slope to catch a glimpse.

We tried all kinds of things to protect us from Grizzly when fishing up North Fork. Mothballs must work because I have never been eaten. Cowbells scare everything including the fish. Fortunately I have never crossed paths with a bear in the woods, black or otherwise.

The one time when the family came face to face with a bear, we were on our way back from the Calgary Stampede and our visit with the Galac clan. We stopped along the Kelowna – Revelstoke – Banff highway at a picnic rest stop. The wooden picnic tables were located down the hill from the parking area, and the outhouses were further down.

Greg had trotted off to the outhouse while food came out to the picnic table. Several cars were enjoying the weather and eating outdoors. Before Greg had gotten back from the outhouse, Yogi came up the trail to check on the picnic baskets…

People scrambled up the hill for the cars. Yogi was sniffing around the picnic tables when Greg came bopping up the trail for lunch. We started screaming for Greg to get to the car. He could hear us all yelling at him as he came toward the picnic tables – and Yogi… no one was at the table and he became confused. I don’t think he even saw the bear. It was between him and the car.

My memories have failed – was it the screams of the people or a little boy crying? The bear hung a right and headed down the hill from where he came. No picnic basket for you today Booboo!

- Craig