Lily Lily wants to leave—snow or no snow. About 12:40 PM, she moved 10-12 feet into the snow, sinking to her elbows and knees. At about 3:40 PM, she tried it again, using her earlier footsteps but going no further before turning back. Now it’s snowing hard again and Lily and cubs are snuggled inside. Temperature 34F and dropping. Video of both her forays through the snow is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yicCkL-Z60I.
Lily walks away from the denWhat happened? Did the super-active cubs finally drive Lily crazy? Did her body tell her that the time is right even if the weather is wrong? Does Lily want to avoid the leaky ceiling as the snow starts melting in a couple days? Food is virtually absent in or out of the den. Her den, being a surface den, is no colder than the air. Jewel, Fern, and Herbie have an underground den that could be colder than the ambient air on warm days. Frost is nearly at its deepest now.
Ellie licks snow off Lily's footWe believe Lily has been at her den longer than any other bear we documented in over 40 years of study—7 months, 1 week, 2 days and counting. Since September 10, that makes 223 days and counting, or 61% of the year. No wonder she wants to go.
Ellie plays with microphone tubeWill the snow falling right now when she is in decision mode make her stay in? Usually, when bears leave, there are melted areas where they can lie down. Typically, the first of those on level ground are on the south sides of big pines that reflect sunlight onto the ground for double melting power. With this fresh snow, Lily won’t find any of those.
Like daughter like motherOne of the cubs took a few steps after her in the snow this afternoon. Will she lead the cubs away on the first real go? Or will she leave them alone at the den for a couple hours while she explores for a bedding site like her grandmother Shadow did in 2005 and cousin Dot did in 2003 and 2012?
Ellie and LilyVideos highlights of Lily and cubs from yesterday are; Part I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiZG5XiT81A, and Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxO8IRgOMmw.
It’s National Volunteer Week as you can see at http://www.bear.org/website/volunteer.html, and 
Lily licks stickwe are thinking extremely grateful thoughts for over 30,000 volunteer hours over 200 of you amassed this past year in 13 countries. What a force for bears! The research and education mission we’ve dreamed of so long is coming true. Thank you!
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.