Alaska’s Small Bears Are Still Glorious

A friend told me a story last night about the Klondike, a great overnight relay running race from Skagway, Alaska to White Horse, Canada.  A runner from an opposing team was chugging along around six in the morning when a black bear pulled out of the bushes and started trotting along right behind him.

My friend’s team pulled up alongside the runner and yelled “Bear!”  But the runner thought they were offering him a beer–it was 6 in the morning and he had 10 miles to go, but its that kind of race–and yelled back “No thanks, I’m good!”  So they yelled “Bear!” again while pointing behind him, but he told them “no thanks” again and gave them a friendly wave goodbye.  So they let him go.

Apparently the bear stayed with him for another quarter mile before getting tired and veering off into the bushes.  Whether or not this story is entirely true, I like it.  And I love the fact that I live in a place where wildlife can wander into my life and backyard.

Big or small, backyard habitats make lives richer.