A Dysfunctional Family Fairy Tale Starring Yosemite and the Three Bears +1

~Yosemite at Dusk~

There were only two reasons that we planned to spend three days in Yosemite National Park-to soak in the natural beauty and see bears. I had heard wild reports of bear sightings throughout Yosemite, and although I was cautiously optimistic, I knew there was a good chance we would come away disappointed. After all, Yosemite is not a zoo and wild bears don’t tend to operate on a predictable tourist’s timetable.

We arrived on our first day with enough daylight hours left to get adequately checked into our campsite and still have enough time to do some cursory exploration. At our campsite check-in, we were given the rundown on using the bear boxes and the mandate that we lock anything with a scent into the box. Further, we were instructed to always stay within arm’s reach of our food. If our own safety wasn’t enough of an impetus to comply, we were informed of the hefty fine that would be levied if we did not comply with the campsite rules. All of this served to excite me that a bear sighting would be possible.

As the afternoon waned, we drove slowly through the park to enjoy the dramatic play of sunlight and shadows on the towering granite slopes. The natural beauty certainly showed up in full force, but there were no signs of bears. To keep things interesting and the kids engaged as we hiked and explored, we promised a $10 bill to the first person to catch sight of a bear. That kept everyone’s eyes peering deep into the woods throughout the afternoon. We had some close calls-a shadowy spot in the trees that turned out to be a shadowy spot in the trees and a rustle in a nearby bush that was a very lovely, but non-bearish deer.

~One of the beautiful (and bear-less) vistas that we saw on our walks~

We went to bed that night with all of our food, and even our baby wipes, locked dutifully in the bear box, but with no bear sightings.

At sunrise, we were up for a full day of hiking and exploring. I scanned the trees near our campsite as I cooked breakfast in hopes that something furry might also be looking for breakfast. Nothing. In what seemed like a flaunting tease, the Bear Walk and Talk led by a ranger met next to our campsite to discuss the habits of the bears of Yosemite.

Just before sunset, we took our car from Lower Pines Campground to the lookout towards Half Dome to catch some pictures of the sun painting pictures as it moved across the sky. Returning to our campsite, we saw a crowd gathered by a fence. A crowd of this size could only mean one thing-bears!

We joined the herd on the side of the road and edged in closer to see a giant, lumbering bear heading towards the fence. It was the backside of a bear, but a bear had been sighted nonetheless. I was thrilled! Crossing slowly over the fence, the bear continued a slow saunter towards an open field. A second bear appeared and stood nose to nose with the first bear for what seemed like a friendly greeting. Two bears!  After sniffing for a few minutes, the smaller bear crossed away from the tree and stood in a clearing.

We edged in closer to hear the ranger tell us more about the habits of the bear in question and bears in general. As she spoke, she kept glancing out of the corner of her eye with a shifty uncomfortableness that made the moment feel a bit prickly. I brushed it off as a reminder that we were definitely not dealing with a controlled situation.

Within seconds,the ranger’s mannerism changed from didactic to demanding. In hushed tones, she seriously instructed all of the viewers to bunch together to appear to be a large and menacing group, which we did with obedient bewilderment. Only after she had secured the premises, so to speak, did she explain the situation. The larger bear, a male and the smaller bear, a female were at a stand-off. A bear version of a game of chicken, but the stakes were much higher than we could have imagined. At the top of the tree, were two bear cubs, the offspring of the female bear. She had been protecting them by standing at the base of the tree, but when she left the base of the tree to protect herself, she left her bear cubs unprotected. The term “Mama Bear” suddenly took on a watered down meaning.

~Bear Cub clinging to the top of the tree~

In a crowded bunch that seemed to breathe in unison, the spectators of a live version of Wild Kingdom listened for a translation of the obviously ominous bear mannerisms. The ranger explained that the male bear’s biological imperative would drive him to kill bear cubs in order to force the mother into estrus so he could mate with her and carry on his seed. With the clinical explanation out of the way, the ranger brought the moment into reality by locking eyes with me and saying, “You understand that something very tragic and traumatic could happen here?”

Pulling the kids a bit closer, I made sure that they understood the violent nature of the natural events unfolding before us and they begged to stay and see it to the end. Watching a majestic creature follow its natural instincts, however bestial, drew us in with magnetic force. 

With the potential climax of the story hanging in the air like a heavy cloud, we waited in whispers. The ranger assured that we understood the importance of not running or screaming should the bear turn toward the crowd.  We waited. We breathed. We whispered. The tops of the trees trembled from the weight of the bear cubs clinging to the thin branches creating an unbearable tension. The mother watched helplessly from the opposite side of the road, but never moved from her resolute or rash decision to protect herself first.

The giant bear sniffed audibly at the base of the tree and circled before pouncing his padded front paws onto the trunk of the tree. I covered my mouth to keep from gasping, and pulled the kids even closer.  Two more sniffs and the paws hit the ground in with a muffled thump as the bear began to stride away down the path. All that was left was to watch the bear plod away into the distance and wonder what made him change his mind. 

Check out our other VERY close encounter with bears in Yosemite. The bears did not disappoint.