We are organizing a hike for a fundraiser for the land trust that holds our conservation easement. It's 2/3 of a mile from our house along a small stream to a 25-foot waterfall.



We took some of the land trust people up there on Wednesday so they could see what it looked like. I think they expected something like that lower part of the picture, so the dramatic long drop was a big surprise, and they were impressed by the wildflowers and forests.

While they were hiking along, they kept wishing we'd see some signs of the bear, but no luck. But the next day Mr. Troutbend and I went back to see how much more water was in the fall after a big rain storm, and came upon this bear scat, deposited there sometime during the day.



Bear scat is very recognizable because for one thing it's usually a pile about 5 inches tall. Usually it's a black-brown color with a lot of seeds mixed in. This particular specimen is full of what looks like cherry pits, and the whole thing is a tan color, resembling peanut brittle. This is the wrong time of year for there to be any ripe fruit for eating, so we have no idea what those seeds are.

I hate to think about it, but the night before had been very rainy with hail, so this pile was freshly deposited, not much before we arrived. Those land trust hikers may get to meet the bear in person! Lucky them!