A two-year-old cinnamon black bear lies in wait after being chased up a tree by a sow. The mother bear was fishing with her two one-year-old cubs when this young male interfered in their activity near the Steep Creek Trail in Juneau.
As tour guides, Julie and I visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center at least three or four times a week, usually more like six. Viewing the glacier is less interesting as the summer goes on. But now that the sockeye salmon are running (to spawn) in Steep Creek, the black bears are out in force. This is a recent development out here in the last week or so. I have seen the mother (sow) with her two year-old cubs feeding on salmon twice in as many days. This happens directly below the elevated boardwalk on Steep Creek. Today the mother chased this young male up into this tree to protect her cubs and then calmly meandered out of sight, only to return to the trail, walk right underneath us (me and about three dozen visitors) and catch an unsuspecting salmon about 30 feet in front of us in the stream. Pretty cool stuff. And, just think, I get to see this nearly every day.
— Christopher
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