Black Bears in Sequoia (Sept. 2000)

Sept. 30, 2000 - Our first hike in Sequoia National Park was on a trail around Crescent Meadow. We hit the trail between 9:30 and 10 AM. About five minutes into the hike, I spotted something moving out in the meadow. It turned out to be a black bear! It was probably about 100 yards away when I first saw it. It was foraging out in the meadow. We decided to watch for a while. A few other hikers on the trail stopped to watch as well. Eventually, it started heading out of the meadow towards where we were watching. It laid down next to a log and started snacking on some berries. At this point it was less than 15 yards away. After the berry source was depleted, it got up and headed off over a ridge. I was glad to see the bear in its natural habitat rather than rummaging around the camp sights looking for human food.