THE VIEW FROM THE BOTTOM

Long, long ago in a place far, far away, - well, actually it was at Mirror Lake in the Porkies back when the park cabins were built in the 1950's. There used to be another building out in that area. This was used by the park employees who were constructing the cabins as a rest and staging area. According to Al Hanson, a retired carpenter from Porcupine Mountains, one of the workers went into that building after work, laid on the bunk and went to sleep. Shortly afterwards, a bear was seen approaching the open door of the building and entering. It went over to the bunk and sniffed the sleeping worker's feet. The bear then immediately left.

THE SUMMER OF 88

Ranger Bob Sprague of Porcupine Mountains informed me that he filed numerous bear incident reports in 1988. One of these involved a bear problem at the Mirror Lake area. The report was filed by an uninvolved spectator who witnessed the incident. It seems that a backpacking youth group leader who was clearly having a bad day was seen tugging on one end of a pack and frame while the Mirror Lake bear was tugging on the other end. According to his account, the leader was shouting, "You got one, you're not getting the other pack!"

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE BARE KIND

A lady was sunning herself face down on the beach at the Big Carp 6 Bunk Cabin on June 18, 1988 (the beary bad year). On feeling something brush against her body, she looked up to be nose to nose with a bear. She made a noise, but it did not scare the bear away. The bear just wandered around and left after a short while

A couple summers ago a 'juvenile delinquent', the 2 year old that is still a bit naive, paid a visit to the motel while Karen was grilling steaks. A man walked by on the street and yelled over, "hey, look at the bear". When she turned around the bear was wandering across the parking lot toward the yard and the grill. She clapped her hands and shouted. The bear stopped, but didn't run away. She then pointed her finger at the bear told him he was naughty and to go back in the woods-he did.

While visiting with guests at the picnic table, late in the evening (11:30 or so), a large bear, about 350 pounds, came walking up into the yard. As everyone sat very still, the bear came within 12 feet and layed down. Everyone looked at each other with wonder. She then began to lap at the ground. Apparently some thistle seed had fallen to the ground and she found it most tasty. This one was so close you could smell her...Whew!

Bear Picnic from Diane Miller Wallace

When I was 4 years old, my parents bought the Keweenaw Agate Shop in Copper Harbor. Every year after that, the weekends in the spring were spent getting the place ready to open on Memorial Day weekend.

So it was that when I was five, I ended up missing my kindergarten, year-end school picnic.  I was very disappointed, so my father said he would take me on a picnic to Fort Wilkens State Park.  He was taking a group of tourists out to an abandoned mine to go rock hunting. My mother packed my picnic lunch in a metal lunch box and I happily jumped into the jeep for my adventure.

I had no idea that I was really going to have an Adventure! My dad dropped me off at Fort Wilkins while he took the tourists to the mine. I really don't think this was the original plan. I probably talked him into it because he really had a hard time saying no to me. 

I was the only one in the park that day, as it was still early spring. I was happily sitting at one of the picnic tables, eating my lunch, when I heard a noise behind me. I looked around and saw a huge bear digging through the garbage cans. (Okay he was probably was just medium sized, but after all, I was only 5. He looked huge to me!) He was on the other side of the picnic area but it was clear he was making his way over to me.

I did what I thought was the smartest thing to do...I took my lunch box and climbed under the picnic table. There was no way I was going to let that bear have MY lunch! I cowered under the table and watched the bear as he ambled all the way up to the table, sniffed at me, and then walked away. My little heart was pounding but when my Dad came back to pick me up, he found me sitting at the table, finishing up my lunch.

When I told my story, my Dad told me I could have climbed up to the top of the children's slide that was close to where I was eating. I don't know how that would have helped since bears can climb, unless I had left my lunch behind! Gasp! There is no way I would have considered that! I don't know what happened when my mother learned about my adventure, but I am sure my dad never considered leaving me alone again!