October 13th Coon Creek Jumpoff to Highway 10

A beautiful morning sunrise as rosy-fingered dawn ushered in a brilliantly bright day. Working around the mountains to the steep descent to Mission Creek lasted most of the morning. West, south, west, south, then east. The trail followed Mission Creek for miles, sometimes high above, but most of the time at the bottom of the canyon along its banks. Except for the occasional cottonwood or sycamore tree, everything else was rock, scrub and grass. Criss-crossing the creek was common, which only required a hop because it wasn't at all wide. A little bushwacking was necessary as well because of the fast growing plants along the bank and the fact that some of the trail in the bottomlands was hard to follow. Still, an enjoyable time doing a bit of canyoneering. Just after lunch I had my most memorable animal encounter of the trip. Walking along the trail, I saw two figures sitting in the shade of a stand of cottonwoods, which from afar I mistook for a couple of hikers. But, sure enough, as I drew closer, I discovered that it was indeed two bears, though I must say, this didn't look like a prime area of bear habitat. Well, I stopped in my tracks to observe them. Had they seen me? Was I downwind? Apparently, they hadn't noticed me at all because they both got up and had a few rounds of play fighting; wrestling about on their hind feet and slapping each other on the face and head. It was absolutely amazing. About the time I was easing the pack off my shoulders to retrieve my camera, the rough-housing stopped and they both disappeared into the trees. I wasn't going in after them just to get a photo, but I did continue down the trail with camera in hand hoping to see them when they emerged. Soon enough, the first bear broke from the trees and effortlessly shot up the steep slope followed closely by the second. I did my best impression of a bear growling and immediately the second bear stopped on a rocky shelf, turned, and looked about trying to locate the source of the noise. It was then that I snapped a few pictures. I wish I had a high power telephoto lens, but alas, packing one for the length of the trail would have been highly impractical. If you enlarge the first photo perhaps you can find both bears. Good luck. Once the trail left Mission Creek, it climbed up and down and up and down over two side ridges to put me in the wide floodplain of the Whitewater River, which even this late in the year needed some creative rock hopping to negotiate. One more steep climb and I was staring down at the large turbines of the Mesa Wind Farm. Another hour passed, and I was looking up at the windmill silhouettes and spinning blades in the dim light of dusk. A short stint of night hiking around the sage-dotted outskirts of a housing area and I was finished for the day; the sound of speeding cars on Interstate 10 directly above me. Thought I was rather clever tucking myself into a place beneath the highway that cut down on traffic noise. Only after a train rumbled overhead, jolting me awake and scaring me half to death, did I realize that I'd camped under the railway bridge.

Find the Two Bears

A Curious Bear

A Surprise in San Gorgonio

36 Miles