OK, so I'm making sick cash here in Fort Mac Daddy, but I want to make this gig work for me here in the land of gooey sand. So I brought my mountain bike up from Edmonton. While home I enquired at MEC about some kind of cow bell to hang on my bike to warn bears that I'm coming and to pick-up some bear spray, because I don't trust bells. The dude (all guys that work at MEC are dudes, aren't they?) tells me that bear bells aren't strongly recommended to scare away bears, some people think they actually attract bears. Biking is particularly dangerous because bears think you're running from them as you ride past and, being the bullies they are, that makes you a target. I asked him what was recommended for mountain biking in bear country, he said (and I moved my lips as he said it 'cause I saw it coming...) "Don't go mountain biking in bear country."
So I went mountain biking in bear country today. I had my bear bells strapped to my bike (they're more like jingle bells than cow bells), my bear spray strapped to the head set and the bear bait was riding the bike. Now, first I went riding at the park on the edge of downtown. I didn't find very good trails, but I did encounter some bear poo -- big black mound with red berries in it -- and a 15 foot sappling that had been bent over across the trail. Not a good sign, I guess. Then I headed up into the woods on the edge of a subdivision (the Fort McMurray suburbs). That's when I saw the bear. A full grown black bear about 200 metres ahead of me on a straight grass road in the woods, minding its own business sniffing around. It didn't hear the bear bells or see me, at least it didn't let on that it saw me. There were town noises in the background which didn't faze it at all, so I think it's pretty tame. I stood and watched it for awhile, holding the bear spray in my hand, it just kept doing it's thing sniffing around and chewing on some vegetation; not very ferocious stuff but I still wouldn't like to surprise one. I finally rode away and went on with my day off. I kinda like this place.
So I went mountain biking in bear country today. I had my bear bells strapped to my bike (they're more like jingle bells than cow bells), my bear spray strapped to the head set and the bear bait was riding the bike. Now, first I went riding at the park on the edge of downtown. I didn't find very good trails, but I did encounter some bear poo -- big black mound with red berries in it -- and a 15 foot sappling that had been bent over across the trail. Not a good sign, I guess. Then I headed up into the woods on the edge of a subdivision (the Fort McMurray suburbs). That's when I saw the bear. A full grown black bear about 200 metres ahead of me on a straight grass road in the woods, minding its own business sniffing around. It didn't hear the bear bells or see me, at least it didn't let on that it saw me. There were town noises in the background which didn't faze it at all, so I think it's pretty tame. I stood and watched it for awhile, holding the bear spray in my hand, it just kept doing it's thing sniffing around and chewing on some vegetation; not very ferocious stuff but I still wouldn't like to surprise one. I finally rode away and went on with my day off. I kinda like this place.
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ladyexxa:
nyahhhhhhahaha. i could be the wierdo thO!! but i'm not. i don't think he is either. i don't bother msn'ing much, i chat to 2 people...
ladyexxa:
nice pingu, by the way. i have a pingu toothbrush!!