My wife and I went to a retreat type place in the San Berdoo mountains last year. The place employed a dog and handler just to deal with bears. The dog was a Karelian Bear Dog--bread specifically to deal with bears. They basically nip at the bears' flank and antagonize it until it flees. Anyhoot, the handler said that bears in California--all Black Bears--are primarily non-aggressive and will almost always flee from humans. He even said they have been known to not protect their cubs, choosing to flee instead. He said that he's been doing that job for over 12 years and has never had a bad incident. He said his dog--named Oso, ironically enough--often gets bored with the bears they encounter because they flee so quickly. I know there's exceptions to every rule, but given everything I've heard about MTBers and bears in California, I figured it was a bigger issue. I'm also guessing the sign above is from British Columbia, where bears are a bigger issue due to the Brown Bear and Grizzly bear?
lol the last line of the bear warning. The sign is a joke... read the whole thing the official warning sign has the word shit in it LMAO
I have to go along with pacman here... A couple of us came across a bear on SART last year and when we failed to reach for a camera but succeeded in making some accidental noise that bear was out of there quicker than we could locate a camera and preserve the moment... Although you never know so better to be careful than be lunch:beer: Ride safe
That sign was truly funny! (though, the fact that we're going to BC this week has me a little worried) :-s:lol:
PacMan, I believe that place is called Forest Home? I met Oso and his handler. Really cute guy and he was very nice. Also saw a big bobcat stroll across my front porch of the cabin I was staying in that weekend.
Yep. That's the place. My wife and I go there every year for one of their Couple's Retreats. Good stuff.
don't be surprised if some trails are closed because a bear/bears decided to nap in the buttery rays of sunlight in the middle of a trail
This actually happened to me during my 1st trip to Whistler. I was riding down a trail and there was a baby bear taking a nap in the middle of the trail. We had to get off and walk down the hill around him. I have a picture at home somewhere......
I spent 3 years working at Forest Home in their outdoor recreation programs. Back then we had a Karelian Bear Dog named Checkers. Those dogs are awesome. I can't begin to tell you the things I saw that dog do that no human would be capable of(getting a bear out of my car, for example). The bear problem has died down up there quite a bit in the last few years.....but it was pretty wild just a few years back. I rarely went a day without some sort of "incident". Good times, living that close to nature. B
Who needs little bells when you have Hope II hubs.... California no longer has Grizzlies because humans killed them all off. Sterilization of the enviroment. Let hope they don't do the same with big Kitties. Oh, and at SCST yesterday, saw some Cougar paw prints. Those are some big A** paws they have there..... As I was riding alone, I was concerened. For around 10 seconds.... A little danger in life makes it good.
Yup - Fort Steele is in south-west BC in the heart of grizzly/black bear country. There are a few campgrounds there with similar signs. The last line is a joke but the sign is not. Its important to be able to differentiate because each type behaves very differently. On their own black bears are curious but shy. They will come and check out a noise or smell but will take off when they realize its people. Grizzlies are more protective of their territory so if you come upon one it is more likely to behave aggressively. You just never know what it will do. When black and grizzly bears share the same area the black bears are much more aggressive in addition to being curious, so you are more likely to encounter problems. Don't be... there are no grizzlies in the immediate area and the black bears at Whistler are so used to bikes they just ignore us. As long as you don't come between a mom and cubs you should have no problems even close up. I know a couple people who actually collided with a bear at Whistler, and the bear was off like a bullit. I've come within 10ft or so myself a few times. If you see one up close just enjoy the experience as it may be the closest you will ever get to one of these animals (where you see more than just the rear end crashing away thru the bush!) Here's another sign in North Vancouver I love: Steph, have fun at whistler. Have you heard of the rockslide on the Sea to Sky Highway? Happened last night (Tues 29th) and may close the road for up to 5 days: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/07/30/bc-porteau-cove-rockslide-reaction.html Hopefully that will not become a problem for you. There is another route you can take north east from Vancouver and then come down to Whistler from the north. It would add 3-4 hrs to the drive unfortunately but very scenic and obviously the destination is worth it! Even more so as I hear they are opening one of the trails that was in Seasons on Thursday. And the park will be deserted for you. Might be a good chance to check out trails in North Van Squamish and Pemberton if you have never done so. It could be a nice break from the park. The trail Comfortably Numb in Whistler valley is my all-time favorite trail and would be worth renting an all-mtn bike for a day to ride. If you need any advice shoot me a pm.
Ev...I was kinda joking about the bears at Whistler I've seen them the last time I was there and they seem pretty harmless. Yeah, Sea to Sky...sucks. But, yes, we are on vacation and if it takes us an extra 4 hours to get to the Happiest Place on Earth, then it's all good! I like it...you are an optimist! I saw...5 days. I've heard about Comfortably Numb. Seems like a great option on one of the days we'll probably want a rest from the park.
If you do ride CN make sure to do it north to south. My first ride I went the wrong way. Not nearly as much fun #-o
