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May 09, 2005
Dry Pond Is Not Dry
I went on a hike on Saturday with my two dogs, Rudy and Kona, to witness with my own eyes that Dry Pond is anything but dry – and home to some pretty big omnivores waking up after sleeping for up to seven months.
Here in the Sierra Nevada, we are experiencing a big spring thaw which makes places like “Dry” Pond a virtual oasis for critters like Wood Ducks, Mallards and – bears. Yes, high up the mountain, at this remote area, we saw many – fresh – bear tracks. Rudy, was sniffing with his nose high in the air with an incredulous look on his face, most certainly picking up the bear’s scent. Kona as usual, focused on eating doggie treats, eating more doggie treats, checking in to see if she can eat my Cliff Bar, or perhaps even more doggie treats.
So back to the bear.
I began to think about this amazing creature. He or she has been hibernating in a cave or a hollowed-out tree for over six months. I wouldn’t mind sleeping for six months. Really. Just fill me in on any important stuff I might have missed when I wake up. On the downside, I hear that in order to survive this long period of inactivity, bears work on gaining up to forty (!) pounds of fat per week (hey – wasn’t that during the holidays last year?). Anyway, I think I could learn a lot from this bear. What an incredible adaptation of nature that allows this creature to survive in the most severe of weather conditions.
Just to be safe, we ate our treats quickly at Dry Lake. After hiking for over three hours, me and my growling stomach were in no mood to share my only Cliff Bar with a hibernation-emerging hungry bear.
Proof that we saw bear tracks:
Rudy and Kona being "Mer-Dogs" in the "Dry Pond":
Posted by Artemisia at May 9, 2005 04:40 PM