Sidebar to this very interesting bear thread. >From the I-wish-I'd-thought-of-this-earlier department, during a two run down the Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers in the Yukon, BC and Alaska two summers back, we did see an awful lot of bear tracks, and, especially in the areas near the banks where the loess created a soft, fine textured clay, the tracks were clear and very precise. I remember thinking that one thing I'd have loved to have had with me was some sort of plaster casting system with me to capture a few of the bigger brown bear prints. Wolves, too, seemed plentiful and not too far off. Great, clear prints. Would have made a terrific zero- impact souvenier of a wonderful trip. Does anyone have any experience with casting tracks like this? Any suggestions on materials or procedures or sources of information? Oh, we did see a few bears. Literally. One very large black bear popped up during what was going to be a short takeout --- and which became a very short take out. We all banded together and talked loudly --- as in Michael's --- and the big black stood up straight and talked louder to himself. Or to us. We decided not to disturb him further. The only other encounter was with a brown sow with two cubs on the last night of the trip near a salmon processing plant. She was coming up the slough where we were camped at an airstrip --- from downwind, naturally --- but never materialized in camp. A good thing --- our fastidiousness about food in tents had gone down the pipes with our get- homitis, and we were all pretty slathered with salmon juice --- which regressed into sushi as our grizzly mom drew closer --- and I think we were lucky. But this was Alaska, and all the locals were well armed --- as we had to be unarmed in Canada --- and the sow probably was used to giving the camp wide berth. (Biggest danger on the trip was from a moose cow and two calves who decided to cross the river just below us, not seeing us, just as we started an unstoppable run. She was <really> unhappy about that, and let us know it. Far more dangerous than the bears in reality.) Another thought on the pepper spray. If you think you might need it, don't buy the "bad-doggie" variety that comes in the little four inch canister; carry the "bad-bear" eight inch can that shoots a stream about ten feet. You're going to be smelling the bear's breath by the time he gets in range for the little sprayers. Not advisable. Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Dec 16 1998 - 21:27:55 PST
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