72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Black bears (Ursus americanus) in the Pacific Northwest emerge from winter dormancy in early spring, but it is around the summer solstice that sows with cubs-of-the-year become consistently visible in open subalpine habitat. The cubs — born in the den in January, weighing less than a pound — are now four to five months old and adventurous enough to follow their mothers far from the tree line. In the long solstice evenings, bears feed vigorously in open avalanche chutes, subalpine meadows, and logging clearcuts to compensate for the lean period of early spring. The North Cascades, including the Methow Valley, the Highway 20 corridor through the national park, and the slopes above Lake Chelan, are among the most reliable places to observe bears in the lower 48 states. Early morning and late evening on mountain roads are the best times, as bears favor slopes with a mix of open feeding areas and tree cover for quick escape. In Olympic National Park, the Hurricane Ridge road regularly produces evening bear sightings in the subalpine meadows, and the Carbon River corridor and Hoh River Valley are productive at dawn. On Vancouver Island, the old-growth valleys of Strathcona Provincial Park and Clayoquot Sound support dense populations. A sow with cubs displays a characteristic behavior pattern: she walks steadily with her nose to the ground, turning over rocks and digging at ground-bee nests for protein, while the cubs — often two or three — scamper beside her, climb small trees, and chase each other in play. The cubs follow their mother's lead entirely and will sprint for the nearest tree when alarmed, shimmying upward with remarkable speed. At this time of year bears are not yet focused on berries (which ripen later) and are instead targeting sedges, grasses, insects, and roots on recently snow-free slopes.