Entry - September 19, 1936

7.00 There sure is a sign of winter here. The bears are all going in and the evenings are getting shorter. I guess they will soon be stopping the softball games at home soon.

Robert

--------------------------------------
Comments from Chris

This is about the time for bears to go into hibernation. Before doing so they will be eating to gain fat and prepare for an extended period of reduced metabolism. Food and water intake will increase significantly. Once they go in to hibernation, their energy consumption will be cut in half. The bear's body temperature will drop by about 10 degrees. Their heart rate will drop to about 25 beats per minute and they will only breathe about once every 45 seconds.

Bear hibernation really is pretty amazing. Bears can even give birth and nurse while hibernating. What a thing to wake up to.  

Robert Making Coffee
From Robert's CCC Photo Collection

Cozy Sleeping Bear
By Benson Kua from Toronto, Canada (Sleeping bear 2  Uploaded by tm) [CC BY-SA 2.0