Bear den and sunset hike

A week ago, I made a visit to the empty bear den to see what animals had passed the den over the winter. I love visiting the den because it is such an important place for our bears. But, I strictly ration my visits to avoid letting my human scent build up there.

The only visitor all winter was our feisty bobcat.

He arrived on the scene in late March just after darkness had fallen. He stood still looking toward the den entrance. Perhaps he was sniffing for bears. Based on my experience last winter, I can assure you that he'd be able to smell any bears in the den!

Then, he started to walk toward the entrance.

There was a 10 second gap in the photos as he appeared to approach the den entrance. I suspect that he peered into the den, and then walked uphill to the right of it. If you look very closely at the photo below, you can see his tracks going to the right of the hole in the boulders and his hind end just barely visible at the right edge of the photo.

Nobody else visited the den all winter long. That's not too surprising because all the bears were denned in other places, hopefully sound asleep. Moreover, the area where the den sits holds a heavy snowpack all winter and most animals seem to avoid deep snow.

At the end of my den visit, I made sure that my camera was working and had good batteries. I walked away from the site knowing that I may not return until next January. Based on last year, I know that bears visit this den throughout the spring, summer, and fall. I don't want to leave my scent in their special place. By next January, hibernating bears will be deeply asleep so it's a good time to visit a den.

My fingers are crossed that a bear family chooses to use the den next winter! Perhaps the sow from last winter will bring her new cubs to this perfect den for a long winter sleep.

Yesterday evening, the Duo and I had a sun-soaked hike that felt distinctly springlike. They were full of verve and very photogenic!

Since becoming interested in photography, I've learned that the "best light" for photographs at sunrise and sunset is in different spots as the seasons change. This dramatic boulder is a great sunset spot right now.

During our hike, we practiced a bunch of recalls. In the photo below, each has raised one paw as they started their sprint to me.

On another recall, R veered off to sniff out rabbits. K is looking at him with great concern. She gets worried whenever her mischievous brother is "naughty".

As the sun sank until it was hovering just above the Continental Divide, I stopped at a favorite lookout point. The low sun was so bright that K couldn't keep her eyes open. Maybe she needs shades!

She mustered a heavy-lidded open eye look for me. I love the mystical light of sunset and sunrise.

Then, just as the sun set, I captured a photo of the contented Duo resting together on a boulder.

Nearby, a robin heralded the end of a day by singing his heart out from a treetop as the sky turned gold.

I agree with the robin. The beauty of our world is worthy of song!