Can Bears open doors?

I was trying to work out the year. It would have had to be 1982? I think anyway will check , not really important.

In 1982 we went to Vancouver and stayed with friends and whilst we were there we hired a ford mustang and drove up to Banff. It was the middle of winter and the Rockies were covered in snow. The waterfalls were frozen where they fell and combined with the giddy height of the mountains the whole thing was spectacular.

Keen to experience different types of accommodation we located on a map The Athabasca falls youth hostel.

(As a side note I believe our stay there would have been the catalyst that set us on the road of running hostels.) When we arrived the place looked deserted it was however a picture postcard location a cluster of log cabins in a forest, in the middle of winter. one hut (the wardens we presumed )had cross country skis propped by the door and a ‘dog’ not sure of type lay nearby.

We went into one cabin to find the warden beating out a rhythm on a drum kit setup in what we discovered was the main building. He was pleased to see us as being winter we were the first travelers to stay in 10 days.

After getting settled in we made some dinner and sat in a empty cabin a fire blazing contemplating life.

We had been given “the bear talk” by the warden and there were signs everywhere about leaving food out garbage in bins etc all understood. I cant remember whether it was my partner or I who first had the requirement of using the bathroom, and then the realization that it was an “out house” It was located 10 meters from the main building. We decided to venture together trusty torch in hand scanning the now black forest for predators one waited out side while the other did there business then we both hightailed it to our cabin for the night.

Being the only occupants of the cabin we made up a double bed , combining single mattresses and prepared to retire for the night.

It was at this point I made the mistaken thought out loud “I wonder if bears can open doors?” My partner looked at me in the half light  “oh thanks a lot, that will make sleep so much easier with that thought in my head!”

Minutes later we were both up putting chairs at the doors and checking all the windows.

It was a fitful nights sleep but we made it through!.

Every noise we heard, every bark of a dog was the thought of marauding bears laying siege to the hut. Maybe they had lighters and they would smoke us out ? How long could we last with out food Needless to say we were not attacked and the answer that night at least is bears cant open doors.

When we returned to Vancouver and related the story to our Canadian friends I think it was several days before they got up off the floor from laughing at the stupid tourists!.

Note I had to steal the pics as all mine are either in England or Australia