A bear story
By Rosemarie Romeo
Forty years ago, the summer of 1983 was a very special time. A visit to Aspen, Colorado camping out for the month of August, enjoying nature and time with friends was the plan. Being the “flatlander,” as they called me, was fun. I came from Florida, where caymans and water moccasins were the fears of a trip down the river tubing. How naive I was.
The first plan when I got here was to go four wheeling at Pearl Pass. It was exhilarating. The mountain views were beyond belief.
Spending time camping out under the stars and enjoying food and wine with my friends was the perfect way to spend my first night in Colorado. I chose a spot for my sleeping bag on the ground next to a hole in the side of the mountain. My friends asked me if I had any food in my sleeping bag. I did not, nor did I know why they asked. I slept peacefully.
The next morning everyone looked at me strangely. My friend said, “We better get you to the hospital.” I felt fine.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“You’re so swollen,” they said. “It’s very dangerous, we should never have brought you to this altitude on the first day of your trip.” We headed down from the mountain, but I insisted, no hospital.
My friends were living in a tipi, and I pitched my tent in a clearing under an aspen tree. They went to work and I wandered around the property to see the beautiful flora. I found mushrooms, lots of them. They were boletus and they were definitely edible. I picked lots of them, making sure to scatter their spores for future harvests, and brought them back to the tipi. We would have them later for dinner. I was tickled to contribute to our meal by just taking my little walk.
The tipi had a phone, but no electricity or running water. I joked about the canvas model phone. There were no cell phones back then.
The following weekend my friends had to leave town on business. They told me to stay in the tipi and sleep in the comfortable bed. My only assignment was to take care of Yummy, their miniature dachshund. He was the main source of entertainment in tipi life.
I fell asleep quickly and thanked the Lord for this wonderful opportunity. The night was cool and the forest was quiet. What better place to be than eight miles up Castle Creek Road, with the moon and stars overhead and peace and love in my heart. I was content.
Awoken from my sleep by a noise, I listened. It was the sound of the velcro on the flap of the entrance to the tipi. Something, or someone, was coming in…
“Who is it?” I said. No one answered. “Hello,” I said loudly. Still, no answer. It must be a friend of theirs, expecting to spend the night, knowing that they were out of town, I thought. I turned on the flashlight, the sole light source except for kerosene lamps. I scanned the tipi with the light to see who had come in. A bear was standing on its hind legs in front of a make-shift counter that was used to prepare food.
He was eating the berries and cantaloupe that were intended for breakfast. I froze. All that went through my mind was that I was going to die. Here, high in the mountains of Colorado, my life would end, being ripped apart by this wild animal. I was alone. I couldn’t move nor did I say a word. I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was ripping the melon apart with his giant claws and I knew I would be next.
Suddenly, Yummy jumped from his doggie bed and began barking. The bear looked at him, dropped the melon that was hanging from his mouth and ran out with Yummy chasing after him. I looked for a weapon, something to defend myself, but there was nothing. I reached for the phone and dialed 911. All I could think of was Yummy being torn to shreds.
I heard the operator. “What is your emergency?”
Trembling, I said, “There’s a bear outside the tipi. He came in and he ran back out.”
“Where is the tipi,” the operator asked.
“It’s up Castle Creek Road, about eight miles.”
“Where is Castle Creek Road?” she said. “I’m in Iowa.”
I couldn’t believe what she was telling me.I was out of luck and lacked any chance of getting help. Finally, I composed myself and was able to tell her where I was specifically and asked her to send help. Somehow she figured it out, told me to stay on the line, and soon I heard a man’s voice. It was the Sheriff of Pitkin County.
I told him my predicament and asked him to please come quickly. He said, “I’m not coming up there, the bear belongs there.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was going to leave me there with a bear lurking outside and nothing to defend myself. Panic began to set in, until Yummy ran back into the tipi and curled up in his doggie bed.
“What should I do, I asked?
He told me,”The bear’s more afraid of you than you are of him. Make noise, start a fire and he’ll leave.”
So, I turned on the big battery operated boombox. Pink Floyd’s “Money” blasted from the speakers. Quickly, I lit a fire and prayed that it would work. I lit a kerosene lamp and looked at Yummy, checking for blood. He was fine, sound asleep without a care in the world.
The sun came up. The phone rang. I answered it and heard the sheriff asking if I was okay.
“I was more afraid that you would die of a heart attack, not a bear attack.” he laughed.
I searched through the phone book and called my friend David to come and help me. I asked him if he had a gun. He said, no, but he had a fishing pole. When I told him what had happened, he said, “I’ll be right there.”
Needless to say, I survived the ordeal and learned that I had invited the bear with honey, fresh berries and cantaloupe. I’ve learned from David about bears, rattlesnakes and mountain lions, and how to avoid them. I love seeing them from the confines of my car or from inside a building with stronger than canvas walls.
I enjoy telling this story to anyone who will listen and of course, Pink Floyd’s “Money” has become my theme song.
I searched through the phone book and called my friend David to come and help me. I asked him if he had a gun. He said, no, but he had a fishing pole. When I told him what had happened, he said, “I’ll be right there.”
Needless to say, I survived the ordeal and learned that I had invited the bear with honey, fresh berries and cantaloupe. I’ve learned from David about bears, rattlesnakes and mountain lions, and how to avoid them. I love seeing them in the confines of my car or from inside a building with stronger than canvas walls.
I enjoy telling this story to anyone who will listen and of course, Pink Floyd’s “Money” has become my theme song.