Beary Exciting

Figures that the day I finally see a bear at Lake Tahoe, I don't have my camera with me. 

I was out walking with my friend and our dogs at lunch just now, and while South Lake Tahoe has seen a lot of bear activity this summer (including the bear that broke into my boss' home a few weeks ago), I've not been privy to any of it....until today.

It was a bear cub that tore through the trees not 20 feet ahead of us, sans his mother.   Once he reached the nearby drainage he stopped and started sniffing, and didn't seem afraid, even with my friend's dog's loud barks.  In classic fashion Soleil noticed nothing, even though the bear was in plain view.  While trying to keep her 100 pound lab from charging the cub, my friend, who volunteers for a local Wildlife Care organization, called in to see if there were any reports of a missing adult bear, as it's rare to see a young cub wandering alone.  None had been reported, making this lone cub's presence in our (very dry and dusty) meadow all the more mysterious.

With such excitement so early into our walk, the rest of the stroll was just a bit of sun, a bit of dust, and a bit of dogs trying to outpee each other.