trail safety, cats,etc

[Louise bower <horsecrazy@access.mountain.net>]

Many years ago I was hiking in the Blue Ridge Mtns. with my 3 kids and 
we came across a bear and her cubs on "our" trail.  These are brown 
bears fairly harmless except if they think their babies are being 
threatened.  The kids were all excited and wanted to shout and jump up 
and down to scare them off our trail.  I said no lets just go waaaay 
around them thru the woods.  That evening at the ranger campsite after 
the talk the kids told him about seeing the bears.  I asked what would 
have been the best thing to do.  He said shout and jump up and down and 
scare them off the trail.  So in that instance the kids did know better 
than mom.   Louise