bears and the crash

 

We a man “crashed” his motor cycle into the side of our RV. It was our second trip to Alaska in 2017.

He hit it broadside and we watched his head hit first and his body get trapped between his motorcycle and the RV.

My first reaction was, “Oh crap, he’s surely dented and scratched the RV.”

Pam’s was, “Oh my I hope he isn’t hurt... or dead”.

WWJD? I’m sure Pam’s reaction was a lot more appropriate and Christ-like than mine.

Here is how it all unfolded. We were in Alaska. I was driving and Pam was looking out the window. We turned a corner and she saw a brown bear mom and three babies. She squealed with delight at seeing them and quickly communicated to me what saw, knowing that my camera and I would want pictures.

I saw a broad area on the side of the road and jammed on the brakes and pulled in. The area was covered in river rock. River rock does not pack and the bed of rock was deep so we threw rock everywhere as we came to a quick stop.

I jumped out with the long lens I had at the time and tried to take pictures.

As we were doing this a motorcycle came around the curve just like we had done moments before. He also saw the broad opening on the shoulder. He also pulled in and he also found that the river rock would not help him stop. He threw rock onto the side of the RV and his body and motorcycle hit the RV.

He went head first and he was trapped against the RV. Pam and I rushed over to help. I thought for sure he was going to be in bad shape. Thankfully I was wrong and he got up, brushed himself off and we all tried to look at the bears.

The bears were up against the tree line and the commotion of humans trying to stop their vehicles drove them into the forest. We waited and I got a shot of the mom and one cub.

The picture above was taken during the time described herein.