- Never hike alone.
- Always carry bear spray.
- Always make noise on the trail.
Two out of three ain’t bad.
After filling the camelback with water, i started the 400 meter return walk to the Granite Park Chalet.
A few steps into the walk and i was suddenly 12 feet away from a Grizzly Bear.
Had i not spoken to Dan 75 minutes earlier, i would have froze, drawn the bear spray, released the safety lock, and waited for whatever happened next. This was insanely and dangerously close. i can not imagine a good outcome. At all.
Instead, i trusted my gut.
In a nano-second i decided to turn my back on the Grizzly and keep walking.
It all happened so fast i did not have time to draw the bear spray. Didn’t even stop walking. The decision to keep walking happened from the time i lifted the right foot to take a step and before that right foot landed to complete that step.
Nothing i have read or studied in 46 years of Glacier National Park visits recommends what i did. In fact, it is highly discouraged – “sure, just turn your back and walk away” said no one ever.
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