Do Bears Swim?

So I was telling a friend of mine about this adventure that we are going to partake in and he asks me "What are you going to do about bears?"

I pause then re-explain that we'll be in canoes.  "We're NOT hiking," I say almost smugly, "are the bears going to swim out and get us???"  Jeez... I think to my self.  Swimming bear attacks...  City folk.

He replies with the obvious, which I had been missing up until this point, "Are't you tent sleeping in the wilderness?  For several days?"  Oh... yeah...  I kinda forgot about that part.  I really had just been thinking about the 25 miles a day canoeing and bug bites and sunburn and constant rain.  Sweet.  Bears...

Of the four of us who are currently going (I keep hearing we're getting some more but we'll see...)  None of us are exactly Grizzly Adams*,  granted  we all grew up in the country and certainly spent our share of time outside camping, hiking, catching frogs, hunting, fishing and general country boy type of stuff.  That, for me at least, has been a LOOONG time ago.  I still like all that stuff... I also like log cabins, hot and cold running water, s'mores and wifi.  You'll notice I did not put either snakes or bears on my list of likes.  Granted it is a short list.  "Maybe he didn't have room to list all of his likes" you think to yourself.  You would be right.  I like a lot of stuff that's not on that list.  I don't care how long the list is though, you won't see snakes and bears on there!  Hate stupid snakes...

We are keeping an ongoing email back and forth full of everything from packing ideas, logistics, predictions of misery and general shenanigans.  The one this morning from Mike talked of shovels and Average Rowing Miles per day.  30, if you're wondering.  Per day.  Note to self:  Pack Advil.  A lot.

He also said Mark would be best suited to search for Bigfoot.  I can only assume he means the monster and not the monster truck.  Mark actually would be best suited for either eventuality now that I think about it.

Mark probably has the most recent tent camping experience of all of us and he is also VERY experienced in... best way to put this...  using the bathroom without a bathroom.  Very experienced.

Knowing Mark, he is more than likely friends with all of the swimming bears in a 100 mile radius:  "Hey Look!  It's Schwimmy the Bear!  Moooooo!"

*Grizzly Adams was a TV show in the late 70's about a guy and an Native American and a crazy prospector in the the 1800's that basically fought crime in the mountains and protected the wildlife.