1960, 61, iw as liveing at the ccm ranch, haney,bc,canada, it was abys home, next best thing to reform school
there were about 10 guys liveing there/, with the house parents and counslers etc. pretty nice place to be liveing , compared to reform schoolther was a lake , i guess about 10 miles from the ranch, lilawett lake, and the lilawett river ran from the lake to within a few miles from the ranch
we were all sitting around one night and somebody brought up a bout race to be held on the lake a few days latter.
one thing led toanother and next thing i knew i was betting the guys i could hike up the river to the lake, i was surprised the parents agreed to let me try it
i left the ranch after dinner hiked to the river and started up the river towards the lakewasnt long before it was dark and n the deep forest ther e was no light at all, so i curled up with my dog (pug) in my sleeping bag. i remember thinking it was funny i wasnt afraid of the dark, i had always been fightened of the dark as a kid
i slept well all night, with pug at my feet inside the sleeping bag. i woke at daybreak and was amazed at the size of the tress around mei was deep in the forest and the evergreen trees were about 200 feet high, well at least 100 or more
we ate whatever we had in the lunch bag and headed off for the lake, we hiked for awhileat times getting into the woods as we took short cuts anround the bends in the river. we were a few hundred feet from the river bank when i heard a rumming in the rocks, pug heard it also, he groweled a little and went running for the river bank. i had no idea what it could be but there was definatly some rocks moveing in the river
we came out of the woods and about 100 yards or so from us was a hugh bear, digging in the rocks for squirls or whatever. pug stayed with me and was very quit, i guess he could sence my mood
amazeingly i was not scared, i stood and watched for awhile untill the big bear ( from what i have seen on tv,i would guess it was a grizzly) disapeared into the woods at the edge of the river. there was a big bend in the river between me and where i saw the bear disapear, around the bend of the river was a cliff about 100 feet high, i thought , if i go up the bank and around the cliff i would again see the bear when i got to the other side. pug stayed right with me as i climbed up the bank and around the cliff, then we started down the bank towords the river on the other side of the bend, pug still at my heals
as we were going down the bank, in thick woods i head a slight noise behind me, i stopped and turned around, and about 10 feet from me was a bear,not moveing, just looking at me, i grabed pug by his collar as he was trying to get to the bear and im sure would be dead if i had let him go. it wasnt the big bear id seen in the river but a half grown cub, id say a yearling, i was sure the big one was his mother and id heard many a story of mother bears with cubs.
now i was scared, i didnt move, just stared at him, then i yelled,,,get outta here, he never moved, then i pick up a stick, yelled , thetened him with the stick and took one step towoard him. as i stepped towards him, he stepped towards me,,,,,,,i let go of the dog and the stick, turned and ran down that hill faster than i ever moved in my life, got to the river bank and never thought twice about the water, just cept on running , water was about tow feet deep but i dont think it even slowed me down, i was across the river and 100 yards thro the woods before i even looked back, didnt even look back to see if pug was comeing, i guess he could feel my fear and he was running in front m like he was the leader :)
when i did look back i never did see that bear again, he proberly didnt even come after me, i guess that was one of the scaryust few minutes in my life
we hiked the rest of the day and finally got to the lake, where i saw the most boreing boat race of my life
i dont remember when or how i got home , but i sure do remember those bears
funniest part of the story is, when i got back to the ranch i said lots about my trip to the lake and had proof that i had been there , but i never did mention those bears, i guess becuz i new nobody would ever beleave me:)
i was 15 then , i got married wwhen i was 21, and my first wife, laverne, was the first person i ever told that story to, im now 65, wounder if she is still alive, if u happen to know her , laveren , louise , groves, nee anderson, from bonnyvillealberta, please tell her to call me 940 641 0132 i called her funny:) i was beaver :)
john groves
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