The grizzly is a symbol, a talisman, an article of faith. These are fascinating people in a wonderful story. The company could hardly be more convivial, although if this were a novel we would want Peacock to be available for the third and final expedition in spite of his ability to make us uncomfortable. Bass is fairly unrelenting in his ecological self-righteousness. I cannot believe that this sort of smugness really serves any cause well, but at any rate there are screaming contradictions, and some of them even Bass cannot overlook.
Gas is gas, and they have to have it.
Almost immediately one of the cars breaks down and the expedition's dependence on the hated technological world could not be clearer. The next contradiction seems to escape Bass. They pass up a campsite. It is posted, but also it is too near an abandoned gold mine and they fear the cyanide that may have been left behind. Although they see living trout in a stream near the mine, Bass imagines the trout to be three-eyed or otherwise malformed.