Can’t Get Enough of those Bears

Wednesday August 15, 2018                                                             Most Recent Posts:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park                                  Cherokee for Falls and an Indian Taco
Tennessee                                                       Thanks for Sticking With Me – Mouse Creek Falls and Midnight Hole

It’s been a waterfalls and black bears summer for me.  Absolutely GRAND!   I have just two weeks  left so I’m going to Cades Cove on Wednesday morning for the “No Cars” until 10am hours.

Bill and Nancy had been surprised one morning with the thundering sound of hoofs when the herd of horses came in from the field in the morning.  I’ve hoped to see them ever since and today I did.   The skies were overcast and the haze not so hot for pictures but I got some anyway and a mediocre video which I had hoped would have the hoofs in the audio but my camera wasn’t up to it as well as my ears were.   You can see the video here.

At the end is the cowboy who is rounding them up to herd them to the barn.  I think it’s hillarious that he isn’t on a horse.

He has “horse power”

As I walk on down the road I find that tractors are really in action today.  This one is mowing the summer wildflower fields.

It’s mostly walkers and bikers this morning.  Haven’t seen any runners.  I’m on my way to the bear trees of course now that I know just where they are.

I keep wondering when they will have picked this tree clean.

Reaching out to get those berries which are about the size of a large pea.  This video shows what’s going on in the tree.

Climbing over to a new spot.

Have a seat and reach up.

What large claws you have.

Changed my mind, coming down.  Everybody below backs up.

I head along the road to go down Sparks Road to the next popular tree.

And there they are, up in the trees.

and down on the ground.  This bear apparently broke off the branch but dropped it out of the tree.  Wish I’d been here to see that.  These folks were just biking down the road when they stopped and turned around.

I turn my attention back up to the tree. .

Is he eyeing the berries or considering the strenth of the branches?

Well here he goes.

Boy that branch in front of him doesn’t look very strong.  I’ve heard that bears do fall out of trees but not often.

Boy I hope this bear doesn’t fall out of the tree on top of the unsuspecting biker.  The folks on the side lines look a bit worried.  They kept backing up.

Here’s a close up of the climber.

Boy this looks pretty precarious to me.

Great face!

That little red berry is what this is all about.  The dead leaves are from branches the bear has damaged.  It’s a form of natural pruning called “bear pruning’.

Another questionable smaller branch being attempted.

Turn around – good decision.

Bears aren’t the only wildlife here but I have to say they are the most fun to spend a few hours watching.