Sun Valley - Day 2 - Regroup

So after yesterday's complete disaster, we decide to use the same map and go for a local hike walk. Nothing too hard core, just go out for a couple of hours and stretch the legs. Here we are before the hike. Looks like a pretty popular spot. There are 3-4 cars already in the parking lot. Ah hell, lets go anyway, I mean what do we expect to see. We can still see downtown Sun Valley for Christ's sake. So we continue up the path, and head up the valley following a tiny little stream. I look up to our left, on the hill and see a blond fuzzy thing.

• Me: "Scott, what is that?"
• He looks and shouts, "Dude that is a f*cking bear!"
• Me: "It is not a bear, it's blond and too small."
• Scott: "I think it's a bear."
• Me: "Its not a dog, but maybe a sheep. Wrong color for a bear."
• Scott: "I still think it's a bear."
• Me: "Nah, why would a bear be HERE?"

This disagreement continues as we slowly walk up the ravine, watching this medium sized fuzzy creature along the hill side.

After about 4-5 minutes it becomes pretty clear. Not a dog, not a sheep. Uh, nothing runs like that, except a bear. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.....It's a bear cub, blonde from the summer sun. Holy Christ, can you believe it? He's (I am using "he" but clearly I did not get close enough to see or fondle check his bear business.) young and kinda small, but clearly a bear. Knowing the mother could be close, we keep our eyes WIDE OPEN, and walk up the hill along the stream watching. At one time the bear gets up on his hind feet. I regret to say I missed the shot, with the camera and a gun (I'm kidding). Anyhow, the bear doesn't smell us for some reason and continues to move down the hill on a vector (Ooooo a technical term!) where he might intersect our path.

This was the best shot I got of him. Clearly I need to improve my photographic skills. As he comes across the trail, about 40 feet in front of us, he gets a sniff, and decides to run across our path and into the trees, up the hill on the right. Over the next 2 hours, we see at least 15 people on the trail. None saw the bear, except us. I don't remember what we did the rest of the day, but seeing the bear cub was pretty much the highlight.