My Colorado


© John MacArthur

Congratulations John MacArthur of Steamboat Springs, this issue’s Photo Contest winner. John photographed a stormy sunset at Steamboat Lake State Park with his Canon Rebel XS camera while on a drive with his wife and their dogs near Sand Mountain.

Seven feet in front of me ...
By Omayra Acevedo

There it was, seven feet in front of me, surreal as a dream. So close I could smell it—like something you might smell at a zoo.

The story of my encounter with a black bear began early on a hike up the Dream Lake trail off Bear Lake trailhead at the Rocky Mountain National Park. A friend and I stopped beside a small creek for a snack. We took off our shoes and looked around. The rippling water, the trees lightly swaying, even the rock underneath brought to our minds the John Denver song “Rocky Mountain High.”

Refreshed, we resumed the hike. My mom always taught me that you never walk with your gaze down—good advice since I grew up in the Bronx. Here in the mountains, hoping to keep my footing and not fall on my face, I ignore my mother’s advice. But I didn’t need to see the bear; I smelled him.

As the bear and I made eye contact, my heart raced, and adrenaline rushed through my entire body. I remembered the warning posted at the ranger station, “If confronted by a bear, stand your ground and seem bigger, if bear attacks FIGHT BACK!”

I stood my ground, and for some unknown reason, I felt at ease and safe. After what seemed like an eternity, the bear continued on his path. Instead of reaching for my bear spray or pocket knife, I grabbed my camera and took three of the coolest bear pictures ever!

I love this place!

Click here for more information about camping and hiking in bear country.

SUBMIT A STORY:My Colorado features original work by our readers that captures the uniqueness of our state. Entries must be approx. 200 words. Send to editor@colorado.aaa.com. If we use your story, we’ll send you $60. Please include a daytime phone number and mailing address.

SUBMIT A PHOTO: My Colorado photography is intended to reflect AAA Colorado members’ travel experiences. Photos must be horizontal and taken in Colorado by an amateur photographer. No professionals please (including photographers who sell their work to the public online, in galleries, or by other means). One entry per person, per edition, will be selected by the EnCompass editorial staff. If we pick your entry, we’ll send you $60. Because we receive so many entries, we only accept them by email. Please send your high-resolution photo (300 dpi min.) as a .jpg attachment to editor@colorado.aaa.com. Don’t forget to include details of where and when you took it!

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