BEARS DON’T HIDE
But let me tell you about my walk up the mountain. On the Alum Cave trail, by which I came, there is no place where you walk along an actual precipice that drops off straight down for thousands of feet. But I can say that if you are up here, and should suddenly find yourself in desperate need of a precipice, there are some places that would serve as excellent substitutes.
The first part of the trip, in the lower altitudes, is deep in a forest of trees and bushes. Rhododendron roots make a tangle that is absolutely tropical. You can’t see 10 feet into it, and this is where the bears used to hide when hunters got after them.
Of course, there is no hunting in the park now, so the bears don’t have to hide any more. The bears in the Smokies are black bears, a little smaller and a little faster on the bite than the Yellowstone bears.
The favorite bear story around here is about the woman tourist who got bit on her behind. She was just getting into her car after taking pictures of some cubs, when Mama Bear ran up and bit the lady right where she sits down. It made a gash three inches long and an inch and a half deep. The doctor who tended it said it was a good thing the lady was fat.
They say there are at least 600 black bears in the park. But hikers on the trails needn’t worry about them. They’re not like the Yellowstone bears. They’ll run as soon as they see you. And if they don’t, I will.