Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

When traveling, I love to explore and hike. I love to visit the Eastern Sierra Nevada. On this particular trip, we decided to camp in the Mammoth Lakes area and do some hiking. One evening we had a brief shower storm, which thankfully, we were prepared for. It was a beautiful morning, clear & crisp & we began our hike. This time of the year, many of the trails become very dusty. The trails become incredible powder, also known as dirt. I'm always looking around for "critter tracks" & often see deer & racoon tracks. It was amazing when we came across these particular footprints. We both knew right away what we were looking at. It was amazingly exhilarating, terrifying, and awe-inspiring. Our first instinct was fear and our hearts began to pound. Then we both realized that this was not our home. It belonged to this bear. The best thing about this picture is that the condition of the dusty trail, plus the light rain, make it look like something from the moon.