Alaska 2013 0589 When a group of cyclists ride on busy roads the trailing cyclist monitors for motorists approaching from behind. When one is sighted, the trailing cyclists shouts Car Back! I have learned when fishing in Alaska the trailing fisherman on the river shouts Bear Back, or something otherwise suitable. On our recent Alaskan fishing trip we saw several bear while we were on the water but soon learned that through appropriate, non-threatening behavior and maintaining a respectful distance the bear would pass pretty much ignoring us. After all at this time of year the bear have plenty of fish available. In the picture below, this mother bear was about 50 yds behind me when I first noticed her. I was in the middle of the Brooks River in Katmai National Park and so was she. Obviously, I waded as fast as I could downstream and to the bank. She eventually moved to the opposite bank while her cubs stayed out of site in the shore vegetation until she passed and was down stream. Olympus OMD with m.zuiko [email protected], f5.6, 1/320 s, ISO 320. Trust me, they look really bigger in real life than in a zoo.

Alaska 2013 0670