Nature Walk The Camden Herald August 27, 1992

Jog Turns Into Run for Life
By Ken Bailey
 
It started out as a quiet weekend for two in the woods of northern Maine.  Scott and Susan McIntyre of Hope, had a weekend without the children, and they were going to their camp in Grand Falls Township, on the shores of Saponac Lake.  Nothing like an escape weekend, with the whisper of the wind through the pines and the lonely cry of a loon as the sun sets over the weekend horizon.
 
Susan, who has been keeping in shape lately with an exercise program, figured she would keep up with her routine and go for a jog on the woods roads near the camp.  The camp, which is on leased land owned by Champion International, has three rooms and a north woods “one-holer” out back.
 
Susan and her three-year-old yellow lab, Champ, named after Champion International went out for their jog.  The woods were quiet, the day was beautiful and the blackberries were abundant on the roadside bushes.  As Susan headed down the road, Champ started chasing a couple of small black critters and ran off into the woods.  At first, Susan couldn’t quite tell what these fat, speedy creatures were, but she soon discovered they were black bear cubs.  It was about this time that she noticed Mother Bear was on the run also.
 
The major difference here was that Mother Bear was running after Susan, turning this jog for her health into a run for her life.  Finding unknown speed in her legs, a personal Olympic Moment, Susan put her new Reeboks in high gear and sped down the road, yelling for Scott.  But Scott was relaxing in the camp, listening to the radio, and he didn’t hear Susan’s calls for help.  This was his vacation too, and jogging was not on his agenda for the day.
 

Finally, with the bear at about 15 feet and closing fast, Susan looked over her shoulder and gave her loudest scream.  The sow bear headed in another direction.  In the meantime, Champ broke off his cub chase and followed Susan back to the camp.  He’d had a nice run and couldn’t figure out what all the commotion was about.
 

Back at the camp, Susan, in a slightly winded state, encountered Scott, who had been mellowing out on rock n’ roll, and breathlessly told her story of the big chase.  Showing concern for Susan’s well-being, Scott sincerely asked, “How big was the sow?”  Susan replied that she hadn’t stopped to weigh the beast, and that the closer it got, the bigger it looked.
 

Armed with a knife, the pair headed back to the blackberry patch to see if the family was still around, or if Champ had treed the cubs.  No black bears to be found.  Scott did remind Susan that she had complained in the past that she hadn’t seen much wildlife at the camp.  Was she satisfied now?
 

This was a total wildlife weekend, thanks to Champ.  The couple had not had any problems with mice in the camp until last weekend, when they discovered that mice had eaten the toiler paper and taken some of it into the wood box to set up housekeeping.
 

Champ to the rescue again, into the emptied wood box he went, and when the dust had settled bear dog had captured four mice.  Man’s best friend comes through.
 
Susan, Scott and the family have enjoyed many great moments at camp, fishing and hunting trips included, but this past weekend will go down in the record books as the most interesting.  Years from now, when their children are grown and bringing their children up to camp, the favorite story around the evening campfire will be of Grandma being chases by a bear.  Just another quiet weekend in the Maine woods.