Lower Twin Lake 2000

  Let me set the stage in my defense.  After a annual gathering in the Bridgeport area I decided to stay a few days longer after everyone else went home.  After a solid week of fishing creeks and kayaking ,with nightly festivities around the fire, fatigue had clearly affected my judgement. Not going home with the others was probably my first mistake.  I couldnt resist a day of recovery, just me/kayak drifting across the lake pulling a T bouyant.
I crossed the bridge that splits the twins and followed the road along the backside of the lower lake, then I parked my jeep in a small dirt lot across from some cabins.
The parking area is right next to the water and it is a steep trail ,30-40 feet down ,to a tiny beach to put in.
  From there I paddled upstream to the bridge to then start my drift back.   good times.
When I got back to the area of the put in, I saw that an elderly couple had parked next to my jeep and were having snacks. I waved, they waved, good times, and I continued my drift headed towards robinson creek.
    It was just after that moment that I heard "her" screaming. It was obvious that she was in real distress and my initial thought was that "he" had probably had some sort of cardiac event and had gone down. Whatever had happened I couldnt just ignore it. This is where the fatigue and lack of good judgement really came into play. Shortly after that "she" started honking the horn, alot.
 I hit the beach and started up the steep soft dirt trail. When I had got about 3 quarters of the way up I heard the banging of metal. That should have clued me in right there. But NO.
2 more strides and I can see into the parking lot and the old man isnt down, he's climbing into his car and shuts the door. As I step up into the lot they drive away,  and at that same moment is when I look to my right and see a cinnamon colored black bear on his hind feet and his front paws on the back of my jeep. Instead of realizing this was my chance to avoid this situation, I realized that I am a moron and reach into my pocket for the photo op. Before I had the camera out of my pocket I heard the deep grunt that caused fear to erupt from the very core of my being.  As I turned to bolt I saw the bears' shoulders rolling as it charged, and ill NEVER forget that visual.        I had the gift of fear and it felt like I was a athlete again or a superhero, totally and uncontrollably adrenalized in full stride down the trail and to the "safety" of my kayak.  But somehow in my state of hysteria I found the zone, just the edge, but enough of it to turn in mid stride and get the photo op.
 I slid into the kayak and didnt even bother to pick up the paddle. Didnt need one.
The bear followed the trail down at its leisure and postured for a bit on the beach then wandered back up the trail and away.  I waited quite awhile before I returned for my paddle then loaded up my gear and went home.
The photo is kind of like a bigfoot or loch ness photo, but the shot was over the shoulder and on the run.
I must confess that the bear looks ALOT smaller in the photos than it did that day at Lower Twin.

I can't believe you were able to get a shot of a charging bear.....I salut you! 

I WOULD HAVE SOILED MYSELF  first.....take the picture...and then run like this:

Holy crap! What a wild story. I've been stalked by a couple of bears in Yosemite with Kickin Bass before, but they never seemed to be aggressive. They only wanted our food, not our flesh.

CHEERS!

Wow, that IS impressive. I never seem to have my camera with me when I get charged by a bear.
I love that picture. I think blacks are a little underrated in the damage they can do. What a great story.