By: Ken McIntyre

Ken McIntyre — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 12:28:09 +0000

Around June-July 1972 or 1973, while on a trail above and paralleling the Yellowstone river I walked into a standing grizzly on the same trail. There was a repeating pattern of long sweeping curves then a hairpin switch back to the left. The trsil was level but the terrain had a steep grade from above on the left and steeply down to the river far below on the right. You could not see around the hairpin turns as the hill went up to the left completely blocking the view of the trail.
Immediately on beginning to enter the turn there was a large grizzly standing with its nose up in the air. I was looking up at its head at about 45 degrees on a level trail. It was much taller than me I was 19 years old and I could not see either eye. I stayed completly motionless from the instant I saw it. Several seconds later It dropped to its left and went down the hill in the direction of the river fairly briskly. I remember hearing the repeated sound of snapping wood, like a baseball bat splitting. My sense was the bear never saw me. The bear’s fur on the back was flattened, matted with dry leaves, unkempt appearing. Looked like it had rolled on its back in a shallow muddy stream bed that was covered with leaves.
I was walking quietly, alone, no can with rocks as advised. My thinking was if I make noise I won’t see anything.
I wondered if the bear was blind at least on its right side because it dropped to its left from standing straight up in front of me and did not seem to see me. It was interesting that my instinct to freeze mid step, at least in that instance worked out.

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By: Ken McIntyre