Grizzly’s Picnic

While camping near Trail, BC in July of 2004, I had left the campsite for one hour to buy some groceries in the nearest town. When I came back, I noticed that the picnic table had been moved. I didn’t think too much about it.

I unloaded the grocery bags from the van and set them on the picnic table.

“Where is the cooler?” I asked myself with a confused look on my face. “I am pretty sure I left the cooler underneath the picnic table when I left.”

I bent down and took a look under the picnic table.

“There is no cooler,” I said. “Well this is just great. I have to get these groceries put away.”

I noticed some movement in the tent and slowly walked toward it. I slowly undid the zipper and was shocked at what I saw.

“Oh my!” I exclaimed softly. “What is going on?”

To my amazement there were two grizzly cubs in the tent, sitting on my sleeping bag with the cooler right in the middle of them both. They were having a picnic in my tent.

I heard a noise behind me and gasped at what I saw. I quickly ran toward the van and got into it. Looking behind me as I ran, I saw the mother grizzly coming to collect her cubs and to have a little picnic too. Once all the food was gone the three grizzly’s left the tent and I was finally able to put the groceries away.

“I think from now on that I’d better leave the cooler in the van,” I said.