Basically the title summarizes my issue.  I have tried twice now to enter the bear cave early in the game and it results in my just getting a loading screen which sits there infinitely.    I have waited at least 10 minutes at this point.  The first time i tried entering that area, i waited at least two minutes.  How can i fix this?

Hey ryak2002, could you please post your important files by following the steps here? It would really help us get a grasp on the issue you're experiencing. Thanks!