THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST
SHE KNOWS I’M THERE, a quiet observer watching while she sleeps. Even my breath feels loud as I attempt to make my 6-foot-4 frame as small and unnoticeable as possible. It’s only been 10 minutes, but it seems like a mere moment and a lifetime all at once. Just as I notice my breathing has slowed to mimic hers, she begins to stir, and my pulse quickens. Camera to my eye and finger hovering above the shutter, I’m lying on my belly just 20 yards from a giant female grizzly.
She could easily lunge and be right on top of me, but dozens of clams litter the ground between us—and luckily, she prefers shellfish over humans. As she stretches and shakes off her slumber, my guide whispers, “It’s time to move. Go slow but go!” I
