Miles: 8 (Hiking)
Total Elevation Gain (ft): 700
Spouses Present: 1 (Utah was last summer)
Precocious kids in tow: 2
"We're a no stopping talking family, aren't we?!" shouted little Margaret Cho on the Avalanche Trail.
My daughter, Camille, must have read "Know Your Bears" which says that obnoxious squabbling is the best deterrent against Grizzlies.
Two million hairless apes visit the park each year and only 10 have been killed by bears since 1910. The number one killer? The rivers and streams. Heart attacks, number two. Bears rank fifth on the list. The bears just capture the imagination here, like werewolves, zombies and Sasquatch. So, all of the warning signs and stories feed the hype.
The kids fared well today, especially Camille. She's recovering from a broken leg but she soldiered our 8 miles of hiking today, half of which was climbing. The only danger we faced was an errant rock that ricocheted off of a tree into Katy's chest for a nice welt. The culprit was Felix and the slingshot he was wielding.
We're moving to the East side tomorrow, where the park rangers say the views are more grand. We marveled with mouths open at nature's bounty today. Perhaps, I'll shed a single tear tomorrow just like Iron Eyes Cody in that Keep America Beautiful commercial.
I suppose the cycle tour will start up again in a couple of days. I've got to make it to the airport in Dickinson, ND by July 2nd or 3rd to hop a flight to a very special wedding.
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