Hypothetical situation/question:
You are hiking on a 6 mile trail heading to your reserved campsite in grizzly country .
It is 2 hours before sunset. You are can't make it back to your starting point before sunset.
A grizzly bear appears in thick brush 200 yards ahead of you on the trail. The bear stops on the trail and look back at you and your group of four hikers. The bear then disappears into the brush.
What do you do? Do you proceed? Do you retreat and set up camp elsewhere?
Regards,
Mr. Fishunt
For me, not hypothetical at all. although the campsite wasn't "reserved", I think it was something like 13 miles, not 6, and the bear was more like about 75 yards, not 200
I did probably
have about 4 hours till sunset though.
At least in my case, the bear left the trail and headed into the bush. I stood where I was and yipped and talked for a good while (about 20 minutes) and proceeded down the trail. While it was pretty obvious the bear left the trail and wanted to avoid me, don't kid yourself, I was "concerned" although it wasn't in restrospect all that scary an encounter, as it was pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with me.
I have had a grizzly circle around behind me to get a smell of me when I've seen them upwind of me first (and been mostly hidden, because I was hunting). That was a bit scary (I was 14, and pretty much freaked out by that
I've seen grizzly at around 200 yards a lot - usually wanting to get away from me as fast as possible.
Want more concerning? get where you see mr griz oh, 300, 400 yards away walking down the trail towards you.. and he/she does *not* want to leave the trail. you make noise, etc. etc. hoot, holler, and the bear just keeps ambling on. then you're in a situation where *you* leave the trail and leave it to the bear. that's, well, "exciting".
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