Friday, August 29, 2008

JUST A LITTLE STORY.....

Mile 131, Alaska Highway, British Columbia, Canada June 1976

Along the Alaska Highway, there is very little room to pull over just because you want to make a picture. I don't know if that's still true these days, but back in 1976 when 1400 miles of the highway was still gravel, it certain was. The safe speed back then was generally about 30-mph if you didn't want the wash-boards or pot holes to bounce you into the muskkeg along the side of the road. I saw the above scene as I drove past it, stopped and backed the truck to as close to the edge as I dared. Got the tripod and view camera out, set it up, and was under the dark cloth when I heard grunting noise to my left. Peering from under the dark cloth I see a mamma black bear and three cubs about 50 yards to my left in the middle of the road. I make some loud noises, she takes notice, and begin to amble in my direction. She's not a big bear -- 200-300 lbs -- but she does have three cubs with her. What to do? Try and scare her away, pack up and get in the truck, or stand my ground and make the picture. Well obviously I stood my ground, made some noise, and she turned to forage with her cubs across the road while maintaining a decent distance. As an aside, this is the first image my wife, Ellen, requested to have print to hang on her wall in her office.

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