Smoky Mountains & Blacks Bears
The day, like many others, is well etched in my mind with detail. It had been my husbands and mine forth trip to the Great Smoky Mountains and we had grown accustomed to the "bear mobs" along our travels. If you've never seen a "bear mob" let me tell you: it's crazy! When a bear and her cubs are sighted there are vehicles upon vehicles pulled over, blocking traffic with people jumping out of cars and trucks, walking faster and attempting to beat the "mob." It's truly nuts! Every so-called photographer with their "big guns lens" gives a signal tug on their pants as they march forward with gleeful confidence, to where other "big guns lens" holders are standing and lining up for the "perfect shot." That, my friends, included me. "Pull over, pull over" I said to my husband as I was already grabbing my gear and hopping out of our car. Yep, we're all wired in "bear mob" mentality. It didn't matter that when we'd left our cabin that morning we already had a destination in mind off of the beaten path. We already knew where there was a momma black bear and three cubs. Yet, in a nanosecond we were caught up in the "there's a bear, there's a bear" rush. It took my husband about thirty minutes to convince me to get back in the car and move along with our original plan. Like a photographer junky in withdrawals, I pouted as we drove away. After 40 minutes of gently driving along the destination that we had begun our day driving towards, Dave was suddenly blurting out, "bears!" Sure enough, we'd come upon exactly what we'd hoped for. A mom and cubs just walking about on the road and in her territory!
And no "bear mob!"
The day, like many others, is well etched in my mind with detail. It had been my husbands and mine forth trip to the Great Smoky Mountains and we had grown accustomed to the "bear mobs" along our travels. If you've never seen a "bear mob" let me tell you: it's crazy! When a bear and her cubs are sighted there are vehicles upon vehicles pulled over, blocking traffic with people jumping out of cars and trucks, walking faster and attempting to beat the "mob." It's truly nuts! Every so-called photographer with their "big guns lens" gives a signal tug on their pants as they march forward with gleeful confidence, to where other "big guns lens" holders are standing and lining up for the "perfect shot." That, my friends, included me. "Pull over, pull over" I said to my husband as I was already grabbing my gear and hopping out of our car. Yep, we're all wired in "bear mob" mentality. It didn't matter that when we'd left our cabin that morning we already had a destination in mind off of the beaten path. We already knew where there was a momma black bear and three cubs. Yet, in a nanosecond we were caught up in the "there's a bear, there's a bear" rush. It took my husband about thirty minutes to convince me to get back in the car and move along with our original plan. Like a photographer junky in withdrawals, I pouted as we drove away. After 40 minutes of gently driving along the destination that we had begun our day driving towards, Dave was suddenly blurting out, "bears!" Sure enough, we'd come upon exactly what we'd hoped for. A mom and cubs just walking about on the road and in her territory!
And no "bear mob!"
