Bear hugs Craving ursine encounters in the Canadian Rockies.(Going Places)

Byline: Sharon Lloyd Spence Daily Herald Correspondent

Deep in the Canadian Rockies, I'm face to face with a 600-pound black bear. I'm on horseback in Kananaskis, Alberta, the bear is in a patch of orange daylilies and is practically inhaling huckleberries.

Her cinnamon-colored babies, armed with Velcro-like paws, have scampered up a tree above their mamma. They already know to hide from danger: me. They're so cute, I'm tempted to slip off my horse and beg for a hug.

I've always loved bears. My girlhood bed was a suburban wilderness of stuffed bears guarding my secrets. Teddy had a secret back zipper where my favorite earrings were hidden. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" held a place of honor on my bookshelf, sticky after too many peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. Taped to the wall, Smokey Bear reminded me, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires."

So finally, here I was face to face with a wild bear who probably would tear me to shreds ... what a rush.

I remember how Andy Russell, author of "Grizzly Country," described a bear: "He …

Bear hugs Craving ursine encounters in the Canadian Rockies.(Going Places)

Byline: Sharon Lloyd Spence Daily Herald Correspondent

Deep in the Canadian Rockies, I'm face to face with a 600-pound black bear. I'm on horseback in Kananaskis, Alberta, the bear is in a patch of orange daylilies and is practically inhaling huckleberries.

Her cinnamon-colored babies, armed with Velcro-like paws, have scampered up a tree above their mamma. They already know to hide from danger: me. They're so cute, I'm tempted to slip off my horse and beg for a hug.

I've always loved bears. My girlhood bed was a suburban wilderness of stuffed bears guarding my secrets. Teddy had a secret back zipper where my favorite earrings were hidden. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" held a place of honor on my bookshelf, sticky after too many peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. Taped to the wall, Smokey Bear reminded me, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires."

So finally, here I was face to face with a wild bear who probably would tear me to shreds ... what a rush.

I remember how Andy Russell, author of "Grizzly Country," described a bear: "He …

Bear hugs Craving ursine encounters in the Canadian Rockies.(Going Places)

Byline: Sharon Lloyd Spence Daily Herald Correspondent

Deep in the Canadian Rockies, I'm face to face with a 600-pound black bear. I'm on horseback in Kananaskis, Alberta, the bear is in a patch of orange daylilies and is practically inhaling huckleberries.

Her cinnamon-colored babies, armed with Velcro-like paws, have scampered up a tree above their mamma. They already know to hide from danger: me. They're so cute, I'm tempted to slip off my horse and beg for a hug.

I've always loved bears. My girlhood bed was a suburban wilderness of stuffed bears guarding my secrets. Teddy had a secret back zipper where my favorite earrings were hidden. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" held a place of honor on my bookshelf, sticky after too many peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. Taped to the wall, Smokey Bear reminded me, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires."

So finally, here I was face to face with a wild bear who probably would tear me to shreds ... what a rush.

I remember how Andy Russell, author of "Grizzly Country," described a bear: "He …