Category: health & safety

Posted on

meeting a bear on the Juan de Fuca Trail

In preparation for the longer West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, Matt made a 2-day dash on the adjacent Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. That’s 47km (29mi) of tough hiking.

One part of his trip report struck home:

…on the trail around 9:00. Sombrio River was quite low, so I opted to wade through it rather than trek up to the suspension bridge. The sun was shining, so I wasn’t too worried about wet feet. After a bit more beach walking, my spidey-sense was tingling. In a field of grey boulders, I saw one furry black boulder that looked out of place. Sure enough, a small bear was eating something, probably a dead seal. Luckily, the tide was out, so I was able to give him a wide berth. I had a chat with him on the way past, and we came to an understanding. I wouldn’t eat his dead seal, and he wouldn’t eat me. …

bear-juan-de-fuca.jpg
larger photo

read the entire trip report with more photos

On my only hike on the JdF I had an encounter, as well. A small black bear decided to climb a tall tree in the middle of the campground. I was the only camper.

A quick exit was prudent.

There are a lot of bears in that part of the world.

I just subscribed to Matt’s blog: Take a Load Off – Lightweight Backpacking

Posted on

bear visits U.S. Senior Open Golf

The Broadmoor’s East Course was quite a bear Friday.

Difficult pin placements and faster, drier greens flustered the field and only five golfers managed to shoot below par, including Fred Funk, whose 1-under 69 gave him the lead at the halfway point of the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado Springs, Colo. …

Stealing the show, however, was a black bear that ambled out of the mountains in the morning and crossed the 13th fairway before checking out spectators outside the ropes.

Nobody was harmed, and neither was the bear.

“(Jack) Nicklaus isn’t here, so I guess that’s a substitute,” cracked Funk. …

golf-bear.jpg

Associated Press

Posted on

Chill Factor hats for hikers

Keep cool on the Trail.

chill-hats.jpg

Kevin Pringles of Chill Factor Clothing emailed:

We have developed a cooling hat that keeps people cooler and safer in the heat, so it is perfect for hikers. The hats have a crystal material inside that absorb water and turn into a cooling gel. When soaked in ice water, the hats get very cold and they can protect people from heat related injuries. For more information, check out the following link:

Chill Factor Clothing – hydro crystal

chillfactormodels599.jpg

chillfactormodels104.jpg

more hat styles – photo Gallery

Posted on

section hike the Hayduke Trail, Utah

Backpacker magazine recommends a 55mi stretch of the infamous 800+mi Hayduke Trail in the American S.W.

hayduke-art.gif

The otherworldly terrain in southern Utah’s labyrinthine canyon country–slots, hoodoos, mesas, bizarre sandstone formations–is as confusing as it is captivating. Get off-track or miss one of the infrequent water sources, and you have real problems. This 55-mile, roughly eight-day stretch of the Hayduke Trail serves up both extremes. You’ll travel mostly off-trail, with steep, loose scrambles, deep sand slogs, and a paucity of distinctive terrain features. Long stretches are waterless–including the first 25 miles. In return, you get bragging rights for a spectacularly remote and rarely traveled journey.

Tech assist Use ExpertGPS (expertgps.com) to plot routes using topo and aerial photographs, then send data to your GPS. Plan best-case routes and alternates, since the complex terrain may present obstacles you can’t identify on screen. Example: See backpacker.com/hayduke for our custom file with multiple off-trail routes.

Start in Canyonlands’s Needles District, where multicolored sandstone towers stand like 200-foot candles above the desert. You’ll pass under Seldom Seen Bridge and trek by the cliff dwellings and rock art of Fable Valley. Mark water caches (drop one pretrip to avoid carrying three days’ supply at the start) and critical water sources (at miles 24.7, 34.1, and 42).

Tip: Waypoint your vehicle at trip’s end as well. …

read more – Backpacker

I’m currently reading The Monkey Wrench Gang (P.S.), the book that inspired this adventure.

I’m no Brian Frankle. This 55mi section for wimps sounds plenty tough enough for me.

(via The Adventure Blog)

Posted on

bear attacks trail runner

An incident in the Canadian Rockies opens once again the debate on whether to “play dead” when being attacked by a bear.

A trail runner attacked and bitten up to eight times by a black bear near Lake Louise serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers the public face at this time of year when sharing space with wildlife in the mountain parks. …

D’hamers, a Belgian who has been living and working in the Lake Louise area for more than a year, was no stranger to the 10-kilometre Great Divide Trail, regularly running on the decommissioned stretch of road.

She was running alone on the closed stretch of Highway 1A between Lake Louise Drive and the Trans-Canada Highway when she came face-to-face with the animal around 6 p.m.

The 23-year-old initially began backing up, but when the bear followed her for about 100 metres, she decided instead to lay face down on the ground, according to Morrison.

The attack is unusual, he said, with the last bear mauling in the Lake Louise area taking place in 1995.

The plan to play dead backfired as the bear continued to approach her, sniffing and licking the back of her legs and eventually biting her multiple times on her upper legs and back.

“The young lady showed considerable wherewithal in that she realized her strategy wasn’t working early in the game,” Morrison said. “Playing dead is not recommended in most situations.”

D’hamers jumped back to her feet, yelling aggressively at the bear and continuing to back away. After nearly 30 minutes of D’hamers reversing, yelling and waving her arms, the bear finally retreated. D’hamers continued the final few kilometres back to the main road, where she flagged down a Parks Canada warden. …

Calgary Herald

(via A Trail Runner’s Blog)

bear.jpg
larger original – flickr – jvh33

Posted on

Hiker Hell blog

Great entertainment at the campsite is sharing “hiking disaster” stories.

A new blog — inspired by Touching the Void — documents them.

This blog is about learning from other people’s mistakes, so you don’t make the same ones.


Some sample posts:

  • Man Spends Night with Bears in American Fork Canyon
  • Camp Fire Burns Man
  • 3 Hikers Struck By Lightning in Rocky Mountain NP
  • Man Bit Twice By Gila Monster in Arizona

    • gila.jpg
    original – flickr – justinbaeder

    (via Two-Heel Drive)

    I’ll send in my own worst hiking experience: lost and hypothermic in the Andes

    Posted on

    wading and trekking Paria Canyon, Utah

    My favourite hike in the S.W. USA is Paria Canyon. It straddles the border between Utah and Arizona.

    In my trip report, I called it the best canyon walk in the world.

    Andrew and Sheila posted some wonderful photos of their March 2008 trip.

    … we backpacked the 62km length of the Paria canyon. Although wet and somewhat cold so early in the season (we waded in the river proper for at least half the hike, and encountered 1 freak snowstorm on the second day), the scenery was spectacular and well worth the effort. What’s more, the snow seemed to have scared a good many hikers away, and we saw only 3 others on the trail in the 5 days of hiking!

    Brilliant!

    sheila-paria.jpg
    Sheila

    sheila-wading.jpg

    They added the sidetrip to Wrather Arch, one of the world’s largest.

    wrather.jpg

    See the rest of their photos on Pbase

    our Paria Canyon information page

    Posted on

    the top of Angel Falls, Venezuela

    I’d love to get to the top of the world’s highest waterfall.

    angel-falls.jpg
    original – flickr – Maurício Marques

    Two teams at least have climbed the Rainbow Jambaia route up behind the Falls.

    Far easier would be to hike up, rapel down.

    rapel-angel-falls.jpg

    more photos of this adventure – flickr – Cathy Beloeil

    Cathy did climb nearby Roraima (photos), as well, on that same trip.

    Need additional incentive to book a flight to South America? See more wonderful Angel Fall photos on Dark Roasted Blend.

    related: Roraima Lost World Trek information page

    Posted on

    Nepal popular again with hikers

    Despite the turmoil and controversies of the Olympic Torch being carried up Everest, it’s been a relatively “good” year for successful climbs from the Nepal side. And comparatively few deaths.

    I have no interest in climbing the world’s highest peak myself. But hiking in Nepal is back in full swing.

    The peace accord signed by Maoist rebels seems to be holding.

    Here’s the kind of articles that are being posted in 2008:

    … The tourism industry has much to celebrate as foreign travelers are reappearing in the once almost deserted mountain destination with the return of peace.

    Consider this. It is late night at the Shisha Bar in Thamel. The band is playing at full blast rocking the tightly packed dance floor. Tourists could be seen swaying to the music, dragging on hookahs or swilling exotic drinks. Thamel, the major tourist hangout, was in an upbeat mood. And so are Kathmandu’s restaurants, shopping districts and cultural and heritage sites as the tourists are coming back.

    Nepal’s tourism industry is seeing a return of the good old days. Tour operators, trekking agencies and handicraft sellers are doing increased business. Hotels are reporting a surge in bookings. And foreign airlines are crowding into Nepal’s skies with the growth in tourist traffic.

    Nepal’s tourism industry bounces right back

    In fact, Nepal’s government has announced a public holiday for three days, from May 28th to May 30th, to celebrate the country becoming a Republic. They’ve abolished the monarchy that had reigned for 240 years.

    I’m looking for my next chance to get back to Nepal, the favourite country I’ve visited. … OK, tied with New Zealand.

    gandruk.jpg
    Gandruk – flickr

    ngozumpa.jpg
    from the top of Gokyo Ri – flickr