On Rocky Ground: Part Deux and a Half #holidays #canada #rockies

Posted on Dec 2, 2020 by TanGental
Anika told us everyone should add a rock to some heap – can’t remember why but somehow I got to heave the boulder while he gets the pebble. My parenting is hopeless…

We left me sitting at a tea house, up a mountain, communing with a chipmunk, blissful in the fresh air. I like a good walk, I like tea even more and the day was only half done.

‘Maybe,’ said Anika, our guide, ‘we might see a bear on the way down.’

Oh goody, methought. One for the bucket list. I get to see a bear, he gets to eat me. A fair swap, perhaps. On the way down, I feel into step with a group of thirty somethings from California and we became philosophical on the subject. Why, we pondered, did bears live so far north? Had they ventured a little further south they’d not need to hibernate, with all the hassle that entailed. They were top predator so it was hardly to get away from being eaten. Maybe they had problems with their families, or they owed some local mammalian mafia?

Perhaps it was wish fulfilment but Anika took us on a detour on our way back to Banff and the collection of our hopefully repaired car, because having left the highway, we saw this…

We were beyond excited. A family. At this point Anika explained Banff NP had 120 bears and this was bear 64 and her three two year olds. Anytime soon they’ll be turfed out. Bear 64 is 29, a black bear and still fertile.

The birth of triplets had been a very exciting event in Banff, it being rare anywhere. Said bear does nose around the outskirts of Banff, causing a certain amount of distress, which is understandable. But sad.

The number, 64 we were told was random and isn’t sequenced but done so that the children can be numbered sequentially. I think I had that right.

Back in our hotel, and still buzzing we headed out for dinner. For some reason I photo’ed it… Meah, I was clearly still in bear heaven. I didn’t even mind the kale spawn in the middle pic.

No poutine, though..

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline. I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy. I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
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21 Responses to On Rocky Ground: Part Deux and a Half #holidays #canada #rockies

  1. derrickjknight says:
    Dec 2, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    You must have been stoned

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Darlene says:
    Dec 2, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    Always exciting to see a bear or two. Just not too close. I think with all that hair, bears would be too hot further south. (Just a thought.) I once met a fellow who had been mauled by a grizzly and lived to tell about it. A scary story.

    Liked by 1 person

    • TanGental says:
      Dec 2, 2020 at 11:57 pm

      Ouch. Not much fun at all. Yes the adaption is tremendous. I suppose I just wondered why they didn’t adapt to live a little further south. Seems an odd sort of evolution.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. trifflepudling says:
    Dec 2, 2020 at 3:45 pm

    I just can’t bear fangled food like that middle picture 😠. I think they’re having us on.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. John W. Howell says:
    Dec 2, 2020 at 9:46 pm

    My mom told me a long time ago to quit teasing the bear.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. D. Wallace Peach says:
    Dec 2, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    I’m so glad you got to see some bears. 🙂 And triplets is awesome.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Pam Lazos says:
    Dec 3, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    Always exciting to have a bear sighting. The last one I had was from a kayak in the middle of the river while the bear poked around through some poor soul’s belongings in the bank. The look so cuddly, right, until they don’t!
    Also, no poutine?! A tragedy, Geoff.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Mary Smith says:
    Dec 3, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    Oh, lucky you to see the bears. When I visited Vancouver the most I saw was brief glimpse of one on the hard shoulder of the motorway (or whatever they call those big roads in Canada) as we hurtled pat.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Mary Smith says:
    Dec 3, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    past, not pat.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Elizabeth says:
    Dec 3, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    Since everyone in Montreal told us we had to eat poutine we tried. We really did try. We failed when confronted with what looked like french fries drowned in brown gravy.

    Liked by 1 person

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