Great Bear Rainforest Read Online Free PDF Page B

there will be more opportunities to view bears when we get to Princess Royal Island. I’m also eager to talk more with Dr. Brezner, so, without question, I’m ready for the warmth and safety of the Pacific Yellowfin.
    I figured I wouldn’t be the only one. Given the fact that he’s been nervous about this whole bear viewing business from the start, I was sure Gannon would vote to double time it back to the ship. But just when you think you’ve got Gannon pegged, he’ll completely blindside you.
    “I’ll go,” he said.
    “Where?” I asked. “Back to the ship? Sounds good. I’ll go with you.”
    “No, not to the ship,” Gannon said. “To the bear den.”
    I could’ve killed him.
    “Do you think there will be cubs inside?” he asked.
    “We’ll have to see,” Alu said, somberly.
    “Wyatt,” my mom whispered, “you in?”
    “Of course I’m in.”
    What else could I say?
    “Then it’s agreed,” my dad said. “We’ll all go to the den together. A good, uphill hike will get the blood flowing and warm us up. It’s just what we need.”
    So, the journey continues …
GANNON

    The rugged, mountainous interior of the GBR
    Hiking into the mountains in this sopping wet place is beyond grueling. My socks are completely soaked and squishing around inside my rubber rain boots, and these boots don’t have the best traction, and even worse support, and the slopes we’re moving up are steep and slick, making it even more difficult to get any kind of footing. At times we’ve had to pull each other up muddy embankments and squeeze under fallen trees and sidestep around massive boulders.
    Funny thing happened, though. I tripped, which isn’t the funny part, of course. The funny part is that as I was going down I reached out for Wyatt to break my fall and accidently yanked his pants down around his ankles. Oh, man, he got so mad and almost fell over himself trying to pull his pants back up before anyone saw.
    “Purple polka dots, Wyatt? Really?”
    “Mom bought them for me. You probably have a pair, too,” he said and stormed off.
    “Whatever!” I yelled.
    He hasn’t talked to me since.
    We’re about an hour into this slog and have stopped for a rest and thank goodness for that because if we hadn’t, I’d have probably fallen flat on my face and stayed there for good.
WYATT
    4:07 PM
1,978 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL (603 METERS)
10° CELSIUS, 50° FAHRENHEIT
CLOUDY, WIND 10-20 MPH
    As we came to a clearing in the woods, Alu held out her hand, signaling for us to stay back. Just ahead was a cluster of large granite boulders. At the base of the rocks was a dark opening. This was the den. Inside, possibly, were grizzly bears.
    My hair stood on end as Alu stepped quietly toward the den. Approaching a dark opening in the rocks where a giant grizzly might jump out and tear you apart didn’t seem like a smart move, but I envied Alu’s bravery.
    She stood at the entrance, placed her hand on the rock and slowly leaned inside to take a look. Again, my heart was racing. Then, without warning, she disappeared into the darkness.
    I looked back at Gannon and my parents. Their eyes were as wide as saucers. I’m sure we were all wondering the same thing: “Are we about to witness a grizzly attack?”
    She was probably inside no more than sixty seconds, but it seemed like hours. I moved closer to the rocks and listened for sounds coming from inside the den. I almost expected to hear a cry for help.
    When Alu emerged from the den, she appeared deep in thought. She took a moment before she said anything, staring off into the distance, as if quietly trying to solve a riddle.
    Finally, she spoke.
    “Unfortunately, this family did not make it through the winter,” she said, her voice grim.
    “What do you mean?” Gannon asked.
    “A mother and two cubs,” she said, “they died.”
    “How?” Gannon asked.
    “Starvation.”
    “How could that happen?” I asked.
    “Salmon are the primary food source for many species