A bear in the parking lot and two in the bush

Today was a most interesting day.  We are on the opposite side of the Inside Passage, so now we get the sunrise, not the sunset.  So, at 4 this morning the sun said hello.  We pulled the blinds down and went back to sleep.  I am NOT a morning person no matter how beautiful the sunrise is.

So, at 7 I got up and read the Record Searchlight (online, of course), had coffee, then got dressed and came down to the deck for breakfast.  It was delicious - mixed fresh fruit with yogurt, french toast, bacon, orange juice and coffee.  After a delightful conversation with Patty - she used to have her own wedding cake business - we headed to Strathcona Provincial Park to see some waterfalls and find several geocaches, and to go to Gold River to see if there was someplace on that side to rent kayaks. The kayak search was fruitless, but the rest of the day was pretty remarkable.

While Lee was searching for the first few geocaches, I finished reading Brave New World and the commentaries about Aldous Huxley included in the version I have.  Then we got to Lady Falls, where we hiked up to a beautiful water fall and took several pictures - there was also a geocache there.  

We headed further down the road and stopped at a picnic spot called Crag Creek Lake and climbing.  Lee got out to find a geocache, took about six steps and said "Oh shit - there's a bear" and began to back up.  Then he calmed down, took out his camera and took a picture of the black bear.  He then quietly went on to find the cache, I rolled up the car windows and continued reading - but kept an eye out for the bear.  Sure enough, I looked up as it crossed the parking lot and headed along the creek.  Lee got back as I was still watching the bear, by now about 40 yds. from the car.  As we headed back out to the road, the bear peeked around to look one last time, then popped back into the bushes to hide.  

We continued over to Gold River, had lunch, found out there was no where to rent kayaks over that way, went after about ten more geocaches, and found a gorge that needed to be photographed.  About 4 we started back to Campbell River.  When we got back to Crag Creek - lo and behold, the bear was standing along the roadside.  We couldn't believe it.  We've hiked in several 'bear areas' and never seen one - this time - wow!

It's now about 6:30 and I am sitting on the back deck at the B&B writing this and enjoying a very sunny evening, a fabulous view, and a reasonably good glass of chardonnay.  Life is good.  

Tomorrow we are going to try to go kayaking on Quadra Island.  Haven't quite decided yet.

Hope things are going well for all - we'll be home on Sunday.  Until tomorrow.

ds