Let's Go Feed the Bears | Idaho Photographer
I should begin this story by saying THIS WAS NOT MY IDEA!!!
Last week, while enjoying the beautiful weather and the company of my Aunt, Uncle, and little sister in Northern Idaho I had an encounter with a few big hungry black bears.
My Aunt, who is an amazing chef if I do say so myself, was hired to make a delicious meal for a dinner party being throw on a adorable little island in the middle of Lake Pend Orielle. Because I love watching her work, I volunteered to go along to assist her in any way I was able to (wash the dishes haha). We packed up our cooler and her knives and walked out to the dock to wait for the boat that would take us to the island. The client sped up to the dock, whooshed us on board, and we were off on a new adventure. I was seated at the back of the boat with the wind ripping through my hair, impairing my hearing just a touch... I found myself nodding and agreeing with everything being said even though I only understood about one out of twenty of the words being said. It was only when we were safely standing on the porch of the client's beautiful home that I realized I had agreed to leave my Aunt at the house to cook, while I went with the client up the mountain to photograph the client feeding wild north Idaho black bears... WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO??? Good thing I brought my camera, right?
I waved one last wave at my aunt from the boat as we sped toward my impending doom... also known as the bears...
My heart was in throat as I snaked my way up the mountain and into the woods with a car load of people I had never met before.
We pulled up to a huge absolutely lovely lodge looking home surrounded by a strong tall fence (I thought at the time it was to keep the bears out). A sweet looking older lady with long beautiful white hair let us in and we began to roam around for a few minutes to get a feel for the place... The woman took us through her house and into her back yard in order to get to her neighbor's house (the man of the mountain who feeds the bears). Feeling quite brave and safe within the fence I march into her backyard only to be brought up short by a wolf staring me down. It turns out that wonderful sturdy fence was too keep the nice lady's pet wolf in, not to keep the bears out...
As I recovered from the shock of the wolf, we wandered down the path through the trees to a old cabin nestled back in the woods. It had a sweet charm to it... that is if you disregard the five black bears wandering all over the property.
An older gentleman has been feeding these bears donuts all his life and has come to call them his friends... His bravery rubbed off on me a little and I got within fifty feet of a momma bear and her two baby cubs to get a picture.
The man likes to share a bit of a yummy donut with his friend, the momma bear...
I waited until I was safely at home in my warm bed to call my momma and tell her the events of the day... haha :) Life is an awesome adventure that is for sure!