Yesterday, I retrieved the temperature monitors I placed in the Salmonberry River, two hours north, last spring/early summer. The only time there are any number of people present in the canyon is during March, before winter steelhead fishing closes at the end of that month, so I expected to do my seven-mile walk with no company other than the fellow member of my fly club who had agreed to go along. Took lopping shears to remove some of the blackberry vines and salmonberry "trees" from the path along what used to be a RR, until the 2007 flood ended the RR for all time.

To my surprise, at the very end of the hike, just before I put my waders on to cross the river and scramble up above the waterfall to get one of the monitors, I met a shy little black bear. I have no photos of him, as he scampered off immediately. He was picking blackberries that have grown up along the cleared area next to the old rail. He had a beautiful glossy black coat, but most of what I saw (as usual with coastal black bears) was his hind end as he raced away!

As a side benefit, we paused on the way back down long enough to pick enough ripe blackberries to top the cheesecake I just put into my oven. It will be a little treat to take to the fly fishing club's annual picnic today...handpicked wild berries carried three miles in a container in my pack!