Day 4:

This Black Bear was the first wildlife I had seen on the trip. After seeing this one I was glad that I had picked up a can of bear spray in Hope. I knew that I would likely never need it but it was nice to have it as a sort of security blanket. It helped me sleep a little better at night. I got be quite good at avoiding the bears though. Just look for the row of cars on the side of the road and cross over to the other side. Most people are completely clueless and will get out of their cars to get a nice picture up close. This isn't Disney folks! I guess it works well for me though, they act as an early warning system for me and besides, if the bear charges I can bike faster than those camera toting tourists can run ;-)