A lot happens on a five hour bike ride. A lot happens when any athlete is out doing endurance training for that matter. Last week I was on another long-ass ride and encountered an atypical situation. I was about five miles out and a woman stopped to warn me about a bear up the way. It was apparently on the right.
Immediately the inner dialog starts. If you are have ever gone for a long ride, walk, drive - something in total silence then you know what I mean. You start to think. Under normal circumstances it's something like, "I'm hungry... what am I going to have for dinner? Dinner, hell - when do I get to eat next on this stupid ride?" I wondered whether or not to continue, if I did, would the bear just look at me or want my Clif Blocs... should I throw them at the bear and take off... but it's unlawful to feed wildlife, so that's bad, right?"
I pressed on and as I rounded a bend on a uphill (because it's all friggin' uphill out there) I saw the cars and thought, "Oh look, I found the bear." One couple was standing back, watching at a distance. Another was walking down the ridge... taking a video and flash photography. This couple was from Indiana. The woman kept exclaiming, "Oh - it's so little and cute!!" 
Two thoughts came to my head:
1) I no longer need worry about being eaten or chased as this lovely couple is first on the list for a snack
2) The larger and less cute version must be in close proximity
With that I decided to spontaneously add a climbing interval and be on my way. As I traced my way back I didn't see human remains or their car so I am guessing they made it out alive. For future reference, if you encounter a black bear, it probably won't bother you provided you aren't moving toward it using flash photography. :)
Ride on...
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