Cars pulled over to the side, with crowds gathered, all squinting through viewfinders is a pretty good sign there's an animal, a big animal, in the woods. Sure enough, the visitors ahead of us spotted TWO BLACK BEARS!!! Our leaders were amazed at the sighting so close to the park entrance.
Our week in Glacier National Park was a 'bearable' experience.
If you encounter a bear in the woods, what do you do?
Circle your leader, while she yells, "Bear!!!"
Let the slowest runner be the sacrifice.
This one is the official one when encountering a charging grizzly: lay belly down with hands protecting your neck, spread eagle, do not take off your pack. Bear spray is your best bet. Keep it handy and don't spray unless bear is as close as 5 feet.
Do not climb a tree.
Sick, rogue bears are the man killers.
From Walkin' Jim Stoltz, who has walked over 28,000 miles in support of conserving the wild lands, gives the following advice when sleeping in the woods:
1. Tents do protect 2. In black bear country, stay away from where people camp. 3. In grizzly country stay nearer people - grizzlies don't like people as much. 4. Stay away from known bear trails. 5. Urinate around your sleeping area - it seems bears don't like male urine and stay away. (I guess that means you have to take a man along)
Bears are the masters of indifference - they pretend you do not exist, most of the time.
Bears have been around forever. We navigate by 'taking bearings.'
Two bears were hiking on Big Mountain, one looked up to the chair lift as it passed by filled with sightseers, and said, "It's pinata time again."
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