A sighting

It was already windy at 5 am this morning, so we chose to hike the Stronghold rather than bike. We are a bit more protected from the elements there, and it is a good workout. There were no campers at the trailhead so we had the place all to ourselves. We did not see a soul until we came to the tank.

This is a watering hole for cattle, which are grazed there intermittently, and wildlife of course. It has a small concrete dam, but the tank is dry right now. Still, there is a bit of green grass growing in the shadow of the dam and it is probably cool there. So what jumps up from there but a black bear?

We stood looking at each other for awhile from across the dam, and then she (we think, as she left a pee spot earlier on the trail) leisurely sauntered off. Not having seen a bear in our backyard before, this was quite a treat. I am glad she did not have a cub.