The father-son staff at the Burgess Junction Visitor Center got their first would-be customer of the day Wednesday morning — a young black bear that walked right up to the center’s front doors and peered through the glass.
The bear hung around for a few minutes and then ambled off, about 20 minutes before a busload of tourists arrived at the visitor center in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains.
Piper Steinmetz has worked at the center for three years running day-to-day operations during the summer season.
He told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that although he’s seen moose wander close to the visitor center before, he’s never seen a bear come right up to it like that.
It was the first day on the job for Piper’s dad, Kip Steinmetz, who was in the back office when the bear wandered up to the front door.
The center’s security camera caught video of the encounter, while Piper got some still photos with his smartphone camera.
Morning Coffee Surprise
Piper said he was walking toward the center’s front desk with a coffee carafe full of water at about 8:50 a.m., ready to start brewing a fresh pot for the morning’s duties.
He looked to his left and spotted some movement on the other side of the glass front doors.
He said he thought, “Oh, somebody’s waiting to come in.”
Then he got a good look at who that somebody was.
“I thought I was pretty lucky to not drop the coffee pot in that moment,” he said.
Kip said he knew something was up when he heard his son calling.
“He was saying, ‘Dad, come here. Now,’” Kip said.
Kip said it was jolting to see the bear standing right outside the doors.
After recovering from his initial shock, he hurried back to the office to get his phone to take some photos, but the bear left before he got the chance.
This young black bear was the first visitor to the Burgess Junction Visitor Center in the Bighorn mountains early Wednesday. (Courtesy Piper Steinmetz) 
This young black bear was the first visitor to the Burgess Junction Visitor Center in the Bighorn mountains early Wednesday. (Courtesy Piper Steinmetz)
‘What If It Was Like Walmart?’
The bear “looked fairly young and small” and seemed only curious, not aggressive, Kip said.
Even so, he and Piper were thankful that the doors must be manually opened, not automatically triggered like some glass doors in commercial or public buildings.
“We wondered about that. What if it was like Walmart and the doors had automatically opened?” Kip said.
‘He Tries The Visitor’s Center First’
The visitor center is run through a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and Sheridan County Travel and Tourism. It’s a handy place for visitors to come to get maps and information about the mountains and Bighorn National Forest.
As such, it’s a frequent stop for tour buses, and one was scheduled to arrive at the visitor center at 9:15 that morning.
Luckily, the bear left before the bus rolled in, avoiding potential chaos.
Piper quipped that the bear’s brief stop might help answer an age-old question.
“Everybody’s always asking, ‘Does a bear poop in the woods?’ Well yes, but he tries the visitor’s center first,” Piper said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
