Gabe and Raymond know that the bear might come back, so they decide that the only safe place to put the moose meat is high up in a tree. They find a solid tree with high branches nearby and start to find a way to put up the toboggan with meat when they see the grizzly bear start to approach them. The bear was “entirely armored in ice, giving it this ghostlike appearance” (176). Gabe and Raymond climb high up into the tree. The bear tries to climb the ladder, but it is too heavy and the ladder snaps in half. Gabe and Raymond freeze up in the tree while the bear takes their moose meat. When it seems like the bear might be gone, they decide to risk getting back on the ground. When Gabe tumbles down, he hurts his knee. When Raymond drops down, he hurts his ankle. They are both in pain and Gabe helps Raymond walk back to the cabin.

Raymond takes some pain medication from the first-aid kit and Gabe helps him wrap up his swollen ankle. They worry about the moose meat that is still in the tree and how the winter bear might eat it all.