A Close Encounter

Yesterday a quest to find and photograph an orange lily wildflower turned into a heartstopping moment for me when I fought through an overgrown path along the creek at the picnic area where we had stopped and discovered this on the other side!

Wow! The mama bear and two babies were across the creek from me so I felt safe enough to take a few pictures before retreating back down the path to a safer distance. Most of the pictures I snapped didn't turn out so well because I was shaking! I had seen numerous warnings and instructions there at Jasper National Park about what to do if you have a close encounter with a bear. My personal favorite was "Speak to it firmly but calmly." But what are you supposed to say?! I felt no need speak to it! They all ignored me.

Will and I were there all alone, and we enjoyed watching them play, safely across the creek from us... and with our truck nearby!

Truly an experience to remember! There were no lilies there, but I found and photographed lots of them on a path we took today! The thrill of seeing the bears certainly overcame any disappointment about no lilies at that picnic area!