While on vacation in Alaska, my wife Laura and I stopped off for a hike at Russian River Falls, a great place to see salmon running upriver. Perfect! At the trail-head, there was a sign warning of wildlife and reminding each passerby of the proper responses – something we had seen nearly everyday during our vacation.  A couple of miles into the hike, we came around a blind curve in the trail. Suddenly, silently, I felt Laura grab my right arm, as she directed my attention down the trail ahead of us. There, 40 yards away, around a slight bend in the trail, were one immense brown bear and two large cubs.