There we were greeted at the Hedgehog Mountain trailhead with a sign no Dog wants to see. A Bear was seen enjoying our hiking trails! I really can’t blame him. Bear in mind, Hedgehog Mountain really is a nice hike, and there’s nothing on the signs that say, “No Bears Allowed.” Perhaps he decided to watch the eclipse from the summit, like residents did during the 1932 solar eclipse over Maine? Or perhaps he is less like Yogi Bear and Boo Boo chasing after picnic baskets, and instead prefers the smorgasbord at the adjacent town dump? You really can’t fault him for being hungry as a Bear and wanting more for dinner than the typical tourist lunches at nearby Bradbury Mountain. There’s only so many granola bars and apples a Bear can eat! Whatever his reason, this problem is a real Bear, and Asa and I needed to be prepared.
Caution Asa, a Bear could be hiding anywhere.
I just really wish Asa hadn’t insisted on bringing his new friend Mr. Hedgehog along with us! Way to go Dire Wolf, looking Beary scary attacking your stuffie squeaky toy. Must I always Bear the burden of protecting us? After wrestling the toy away from Asa, we proceeded cautiously on our hike.
Who’s afraid of the big bad Dire Wolf? Not me…nor the Bear!
Ok, so I probably shouldn’t have made fun of Asa, he is obviously smarter than the average Bear. Asa was using Mr. Hedgehog as a Bear trap to ease him into a false sense of security. Just look at the face Asa made when Mom asked him to drop his stick and pose for a photo! Guess the goofy guy can look scary. Again, please note, a Bear could be lurking behind that stone foundation. Yet, Mom is more focused on snapping cutesy photos for our trail review! I guess I just have to grin and Bear it. Oh and in case you’re wondering, that spot between his eyes is Asa’s own slobber. How Asa managed that I haven’t a clue. The boy has skills.
Go figure? I guess Asa can look mean when he wants to!
Anyways, our hike continued, despite the feeling of dread that was becoming unbearable. That’s when we came upon the most startling evidence of the Bear’s whereabouts! No not the answer to the age old question of does a Bear poop in the woods! Where else would he go? Besides, clearly he cleans up after himself using Charmin toilet tissue just like in the advertisements. No the evidence I am referring to were the claw marks on this bench! This time it was more than Dad could Bear, and he dismissed the claw marks by saying it was purely decorative. Yes, decorated by a Bear with sharp claws, so he can enjoy the summit view too!
Startling evidence of the Bear…or decorative rustic bench?
Now it Bears repeating that after seeing that bench, I was on high alert as we meandered our way through the forest. That’s when we heard him! Rustling through the underbrush! Moving faster than any creature I have ever heard in the woods! The Bear was running towards us, hidden by the thick growth and stone walls! I couldn’t Bear it any longer! I braced myself for the attack, placing myself between Mom and the oncoming Bear. After all I did protect her from a Baby Banshee earlier in the summer.
Our “Bear” sighting at Hedgehog Mountain.
However, I hate to be the Bearer of bad news, for those of you who like a good tale of survival. But you can’t begin to imagine my relief when I Bear witnessed to two fellow Dogs charging at us off-leash! Like us, they saw the handwritten sign at the trailhead warning of the Bear, and were on the prowl ready to defend their beloved Hedgehog Mountain. After saying a proper “hello,” we all laughed about how we all thought of each other as the possible Bear, and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness! I’m not sure I could Bear the sight of a Bear coming at me on our hike!
Silly Humans, we were safe all along! Bear sighting – HA! Wait, what was that noise?
