Sleeping Bear

Yesterday I walked up Rich mountain trail and once at the top turned to the right onto Indian Grave Gap. I got about 10 minutes down that way and felt the need to stop and listen for a bit. While stopped I scanned the trail in front and reviewed the mountainside the trail had carried me above which was now visible due to the bend in the route. Initially I saw nothing yet I continued the reconnaissance of my surroundings and moved along the trail a few steps when there in woods about 30 yards in front of me and maybe 10 yards off the trail was what appeared to be a bear. My initial thoughts were it's sleeping...no it would have heard me...no the trail is quiet with the recent rain showers...no look how its laying , looks dead to me! Hmmmm? is it breathing? yes it sorta looks like it is...maybe not. I again made a quick review of the surroundings for other bears.









Then the indecision began (lol). Should I stay or should I go? I had taken a picture thinking it may be evidence for something if the animal was desceased and quietly began to continue along the trail. At the closest point I knelt and got a good view of the bear and took another picture pretty sure, looking at it's completely motionless body and partially opened mouth, that it was a "gonner".
In moving the last time up the trail I must have gotten up wind of the bear because its head popped up and quickly scanned around it's position. Once it got a fix on me it began moving down the mountain stopping at a large fallen tree to monitor my move. Which hadn't happened yet.
When it showed life I said to myself, "Oh sh_t!", followed by speaking aloud to the bear that "I was just leaving and sorry to wake you up", and I repeated this several times. I did leave and was sorry for disturbing it's rest. A few minutes later as I headed back to Rich Mtn. trail and saw a cub possibly a yearling, down along the side of the mountain.
Now what did I learn. First and most importantly when I find I'm approaching a bear stop and go the opposite direction while talking in a non-threatening way and calmly making my presence known to the bear. Second. If I must proceed and this bear is not moving be patient, back up some more and call out to this large extremely fast omnivore and see if it responds before assuming it's dead. The spirit's of the forest and luck allowed this learning without consequence though it is my responsibility to heed these lessons and not wake the sleeping bear. Peace