Grizzly encounter!

[MichaelB]

So I was up at the crack of dawn expoloring roads in the Squamish Valley on Saturday. I was going up one of the branches and the trail narrowed to about 6 feet wide. I barreled through a creek on my trusty dirtbike and as I came out the creek bed and over the little hill, standing on the trail looking right at me is a big male grizzly!!! I slam on my brakes and the bike slides to a halt. I was in third gear and in my panic didn't pull the clutch and my bike stalled:confused:....... So now there I am literally a game of "horse shoes" distance from this beast, my gun is in the truck, and my bear spray (not that it would do anything) is in the back pocket of my pack. The silence was deafening if that makes sense. We stared at each other for what seemed like minutes (I'm sure it was no longer than 10 seconds), until I snapped the clasp off my lumbar support and started to swing my pack in front. The bear lunges forward and bites down on my shoulder.......no just kidding haha:mrgreen:. He just slowly turned still looking at me and walked into the forrest. I finally exhaled. The trail where I stopped was not even wide enough to turn around in. I had to back up and go forward and repeat to get turned around. Never at any point did I really have fear. We both were just curious (probably the first really close encounter for both of us). For the sake of a good story I act like I was going for the spray in the pack when really it was just my camera that I wanted. I wanted to add a picture for you fine folk on the forum. I wasn't there to hunt him, he was just minding his own business eating raspberries, so we coexisted peacefully together. I couldn't tell how big he was while he was facing me. His head was big, but it wasn't untill he turned to walk that I saw his huge rump. He looked healthy, and would've been a good fight for a stud like me (see avatar for details of my manliness). Hahaha I suppose at that distance they all look big, but who knows. This is the second grizzly I've seen this month in that area.

Later I ran out of gas and had to push my bike in 35 degree heat for a few miles before a kind forestry worker gave me a lift to my truck. It sucked but overall was a very exciting day......end of story.

[Steeleco]

At least this story has a happy ending!! Wait till the big brown boys start to show up on the North shore, it's not that far really??

BTW, is that you with the hat on, studly!! LOL

[bad arrow]

How long did it take for you to realize you had to dump your shorts? :biggrin:

[TheProvider]

I've heard a few people around town talking about grizzly sightings up there lately. I beleive they tagged a couple of them recently. I was up there early sunday morning poking around. Saw a good size blackie.

[Plincker]

You're really luck to have seen one, especially on a safe encounter. Dirt bikes are the best way to find bears, they never know if they should run or just keep starring at you! I keep hearing reports of griz up their but I have not been as lucky to have seen one, just the damn black ones! I guess with the elk population booming they have an abundant food source now.

Thanx for sharing

[Lone Ranger]

Explains the majority of bear sightings, they usually go pretty well all in all. Pretty neat though to look back on it, you usually don't get to see too many that close and walk away so casually in the end. LR

[270WIN]

nice to hear you seen one. I seen all sort of other animals up that way elk, moose, lynx, cougar,elk,deer, black beer but yet to see a grizzly i sure may day is coming I bump into one up nthat way.

[rollingrock]

nice to hear you seen one. I seen all sort of other animals up that way elk, moose, lynx, cougar,elk,deer, black beer but yet to see a grizzly i sure may day is coming I bump into one up nthat way.

I've seen all of them but cougar.

For some reason I think Michael hunts the same woods as I do. I may have picked up some games he missed, and he has picked up mine too. :-D

[Shooter Jr.]

Glad to hear this story didn't turn into anything like Brambles....
One time about to years ago we were camping and me and mom when for a dirtbike ride and I was leading. We came around this corner and I see something black run across the road so I was coasting on my bike. At this point I'm not going very fast but i noticed it was a bear cub and it was staring along with it's mom right at us and it's brother was on the other side. Well my mom sure turned around pretty quick when I said bear (she's not to fond of bears) luckily for us no one stalled there bike nor did the bear come any closer cause we were maybe 15 yards away.

[OutWest]

Awesome recall of your encounter!

[seanps]

Whoa, and just as it's about to get busy in there.

[Elkhound]

At least this story has a happy ending!! Wait till the big brown boys start to show up on the North shore, it's not that far really??



Sunshine coast already has a few sighting reports.

[MichaelB]

I definately see more game while on my dirt bike than any other way (from the road I mean). I'm usually moving fast and it seems that I catch more butts running into the trees due to it. The last grizzly I saw was in the Elaho Valley and I only caught the last half of him as I screamed around a corner. Glad to have a safe encounter.

[behemoth]

:-PHaahaa that made me laugh pretty good when you said he bit your shoulder