For a time I serviced camp sites, including checking trash cans. I regularly emptied the trash cans, especially at the camp sites near the lake, so the bears wouldn't be attracted to the left over pieces of fish which campers threw away. The maintenance also included, cutting and stacking the campsite with firewood, cleaning out and arranging fire pits, and repainting the portable toilets.



Part of the job was nice. I got to drive around in a Forest Service pickup, and see all the beautiful countryside. The camp site by the lake was above a huge hydro electric dam on the Columbia River. The drive to the campsite took 10 minutes from town. The route paralleled the Columbia River, climbed the dam hill, then ran along the edge of the huge lake.

Tourists made the 100 mile trip up to see the hydro electric dam, and get in some fishing.

Checking the trash cans was best done every day in summer. Bears or dogs make a disgusting mess when they tip over a garbage can and spread the smelly contents around. Words can not describe how disgusting it is cleaning up pieces of fish, discarded food and baby diapers, spread all over the ground. Even using a shovel and gloves doesn't make it much less revolting.

The trash cans were really 45 gallon drums with the top cut off. The garbage bags we lined the cans with, were heavy gauge black plastic ones. If the cans ever became full to the top the bags were really heavy to lift out of the can, and into the box of the pickup truck. After loading up with the garbage bags, there was a nice long 20 minute drive to the dump. The dump was well away from town, so any bears there were not likely to be going to town. For a time there was a family of white grizzly bears that hung around the dump. They were quite young, about a year old.

One day while taking the garbage to the dump, I had the misfortune to get a flat tire. I had dumped the garbage bags and was driving away, when I noticed. A white piece of deer antler bone had poked into the tire. Just about that time a couple of white bear cubs, slowly started sauntering along toward the truck. I was so glad the garbage was no longer in the truck box. The grizzly bears walked deliberately not aggressively. They appeared to be just curious about something new to see. So the best thing was to stay inside the truck and wait. The radio was also used to request help, since there was no safe way to change the tire with the bears so close. While waiting for another truck to arrive, the bear cubs provided stimulating entertainment. They were very self assured, not at all afraid of the truck. They just wanted to have a look, and a bit of a sniff. After they had satisfied their curiosity, they lumbered off, to look for other things of interest.

That is the closest I have ever seen a grizzly bear. Black bears, are one thing but grizzly bears are a whole different story. They know they are king of the forest. Even the cubs are self assured. That was a one of a kind event. Bear and human watching each other, nearly face to face. It did liven up a mundane day of emptying out the trash cans.