I was saddened to read yesterday of the death of local actor T.J. Langely. He died while hiking solo in the Glacier Peak backcountry. I interviewed T.J. 10 years ago for my magazine, BEARS and Other Top Predators, after he had been severely injured by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. That was also while he was hiking solo. I identify with T.J.'s compulsion to go alone to such places. I've actually hiked solo myself in the area where he died.
For many of us, wilderness calls to mind more primal times when life choices and opportunities were bounded more by nature, less by the rules and requirements of social institutions. Wilderness visits help recharge our batteries for dealing with the latter. I am not in favor of dismantling the social institutions that make life so much easier now than in primitive times. But I would like to see some of our institutions dialed back a notch, to see modern living a degree or two closer to the hard freedom that our progenitors enjoyed.
My only interaction with T.J. was the one time in the hospital after his quintessential primitive encounter. Judging by his reaction to that difficulty, I would guess that he had many friends, and that he will be sorely missed.
I've posted more thoughts on T.J. Langely and information about the area where he died at my backcountry blog FindingWilderness.com.
I have spent many days doing what T.J. did and have been rewarded with a life full of great adventures and with memories of those days that keep me satisfied when urban life gets too hectic or too dull.
I doubt T.J. died unfulfilled.
Posted by: deadwood on October 11, 2009 01:39 PMThere has been a lot of talk about requiring fatties (like me) and smokers to pay extra for health insurance. While that might be fair, other lifestyle choices should face a similar penalty.
Solo hikers, motorcyclists, free climbers, base jumpers, scuba divers, etc. Heck, people who drive or fly for a living. Drug users. People who engage in behavior making them more susceptible to HIV or Hep. Penalize me if you must, but the bus under which I am thrown should have plenty of other speedbumps.
Hairy
Posted by: Hairy Buddah on October 11, 2009 05:52 PMInteresting to read about his encounter with a bear at Yellowstone. Our family was in Yellowstone two months ago. One hike we took only a small part of was not far from Dunraven Pass and we read at the trailhead that there had been bear sightings on the trail. Would love to have taken the whole trail (more of a half-day trek) but a bit concerned about encountering bears. They really seem to like the high country. When we go back to Yellowstone, I'll be sure to bring a knife and pepperspray (thanks to your articles) before we take that trail.
Posted by: Michele on October 11, 2009 08:46 PMThanks.
Posted by: Carter Mackley on October 11, 2009 09:09 PMI have a question, though: While fortunately I've never seen a bear on any backcountry hike, what would a group of two or four people do who-- while hiking along a trail-- come upon a bear several yards in the distance? In other words, maybe the bear is not right there at you, but close enough that he sees you a little ways away? Do you quickly turn and walk back to the trailhead? Do you run? Do you walk backward while facing said bear so you know what he's doing at all times? Would love to hear your take on this.
Posted by: Michele on October 12, 2009 01:20 AMThe Lamar Valley was one of the few places we did not get to. Covered the rest of the park reasonably well, except that we want to spend overnights at Tower next time around. It's so different from the rest of the park. We stopped at Tower on our way to driving a bit west of there to the Petrified Tree stop before turning around. But didn't get to take the drive east of Tower. That's next on the list, along with a two-hour trail horseback ride at Tower. Ah, I get excited just thinking about going back there. Yellowstone is world-class.
Posted by: Michele on October 12, 2009 01:36 AMOf course mid August might have been a bad time to visit.
Posted by: deadwood on October 12, 2009 05:47 AMSad, but true.
Posted by: Rick D. on October 12, 2009 06:33 AMMichelle,
T.J. was in the northwest corner of Yellowstone when he was attacked.
For an answer to your question about what to do if your group confronts a bear, see my post today at FindingWilderness.com.
Posted by: Carter Mackley on October 12, 2009 09:40 AMThere are three virtues of solo hiking that are seldom considered.
One is that hiking with a partner sometimes can lead to a bit of risk taking that a prudent solo hiker would not take since he has no back-up.
Another is that alpine hiking usually results in rockfall onto other members of your team.
The third is that a prudent alpine hiker, such as myself, documents and files a complete route plan with a family member or friend.
There are many aesthetic virtues to solo hiking.
Mainly, no annoying complaints and comments from one's hiking partner about the route.
I have, in fact, required a mountain rescue. It would not have occurred had I been solo.
These days there are various electronic rescue locating devices which are often better than depending upon your buddy to run to the trail head.
Cell phones, however, should never be depended upon for communication in the mountains, though are worth their weight in your pack.
I have encountered many black bears in the mountains. I did once encounter one who basically ignored me. All others ran like the devil.
As Carter knows, I have seen sign of other, more cryptic large mammals.
I AM a little "off my bubble" like many people at this blog. But not so much regarding solo hiking.
I forgot to mention yet another hidden virtue of hiking alone. Most accidents and lost hikers are caught in lousy weather.
With few exceptions, I ONLY hike when EXCELLENT weather is forecast for at least a day ahead of my hike.
If I were to hike with a companion, then I would need to accomodate their work schedule and many weather decision compromises would be made.
With one exception, my few dire mountain situations have been in lousy weather due to my companion's schedule.
I've long been self-employed. Guess I'm lucky to have my pick of the best days.
Posted by: Bart Cannon on October 12, 2009 02:58 PMMy single "close-up" encounter with a bear occurred as I arrived at the saddle between Guye Peak and Cave Ridge near Snoqualmie Pass.
The bear was arriving there at the same time and didn't back off. He was about 40 feet from me.
I tossed a rock in his direction and he climbed a tree. I continued up Cave Ridge after noticing that when he lowered himself down the tree, he returned to from whence he came down into Commonwealth Basin.
On my return down the mountain I was navigating through some talus and continually checked behind me to cofirm that my young, talus inexperienced labrador was doing OK.
I did a double take when I noticed two black animals behind me. One was the bear and he was closer to me than my dog. About 20 feet.
I was collecting garnet crystals and had my hammer and long chisel in my hands. I immediately made a lot of noise with the tools and climbed up a 12 foot talus boulder, still clanging my hammer and chisel. The bear could easily have followed me up the boulder.
The bear never looked up and my dog never barked.
I called my dog and the two of us watched the bear head down the mountain. Probably to a garbage can at Alpental.
This was in 1974.
My current trail animal is a 110 pound german sheherd. He chases bears for sport. This is a very bad behavior for all concerned and one which has caused me to keep him on leash at all times.
Taking a dog is another good safety factor on a hike. I don't go anywhere that my dog can't climb up or get down from on his own. Another way to keep myself out of trouble since dogs aren't as good at rock climbing as people.
Posted by: Bart Cannon on October 12, 2009 03:14 PMDogs have saved their humans as well as created bear problems. It kind of cuts both ways.
Palouse,
If you want to avoid injury, I recommend you take your pepper spray out first, and carry a bigger gun if you are in grizzly country. See my post on this exact topic at http://www.findingwilderness.com/how-to-fight-bears/. When I get around to it I will post on the forest service ranger who was only able to kill the grizzly chewing on his leg with the sixth and last round fired from his .357 magnum.
Posted by: Carter Mackley on October 12, 2009 03:19 PMI've interviewed quite a few experienced backcountry people about bear protection.
The only handgun that MIGHT stop a large charging bear is a .44 Magnum. Most seem to think that a Remington .870 shotgun with a lead slug is the only certain weapon. And you need to be carrying it in your arms.
Pepper spray is better than nothing. And when you see bear sign on the trail, have a whistle or a pot and a spoon to make noise.
The old joke is: how do you identify grizzly sign?
Smells like pepper spray and has a whistle in it.
Posted by: Bart Cannon on October 12, 2009 03:21 PMYou can be sure that if my dog and I were face to face with an angry bear, my dog would be off leash at the color in part of one second.
I sometimes carry a .357 magnum with a 6 inch barrel. Mostly for imagined protection.
Note that firearms are not allowed in our enlarging National Parks system, nor are dogs, be there for pack animal purposes or protection.
Meanwhile, old farts such as Joel Connelly, one time outdoorsman who can no longer hike, are campaigning to not only re-introduce grizzlies into their old range in the North Cascades, but INTRODUCE them into new, more southerly parts of the Cascades.
When I suggested that his plan was slightly sociopathic he became outraged at me, and informed me that more people die from lightning strikes than grizzly attacks. Dozens of people per year are killed by lightning.
I would MUCH prefer to be killed by lightning than by a grizzly.
The only experience worse than being killed by a bear is surviving one of their attacks.
Posted by: Bart Cannon on October 12, 2009 04:38 PMmany people have stopped a bear with a handgun, including smaller bore handguns, but because bullets usually don't kill instantly, many people also end up on the ground with the bear, and only finish the job after getting severely injured. On the other hand, pepper spray usually turns the bear immediately. See my article on this topic at FindingWilderness.com
FYI, Firearms will be allowed in National Parks as of February 10, 2009.
Posted by: Carter Mackley on October 12, 2009 04:49 PMBart, Palouse, Michelle,
I justed posted on FindingWilderness.com about a runner in Utah who had a charge/stare down incident with a cougar. A frequent occurrence. You may find it interesting.
Posted by: Carter Mackley on October 13, 2009 11:05 AMWell, that kind of thinking would make sense if bears had the intelligence of humans, but to them, you're the aggressor by "intruding", whether perceived or real, on THEIR territory, making YOU the aggressor in their mind. In the instinctive "fight or flight" world of wild animals, it's not as simple as saying 'this bear decided to attack me so I shot it'.
If you want an example of what not to do out in the wilderness re: behavior with bears, plug Timothy Treadwell into a search engine. That guy definately deserved a Darwin awards honorable mention.
Posted by: Rick D. on October 13, 2009 07:52 PMWhat would you do? Merely, pepper spray and hope that it is effective enough so he doesn't rip you apart? Merely, pepper spray and allow the animal to remain alive to rip someone else apart?
Bears can attack for any number of reasons other than being a "rogue man killer", Daniel or in your words "mean". It's simply not that cut and dried. I suggest reading the story on Timothy Treadwell and tell me he wasn't basically baiting a bear to attack him. Camping near salmon streams frequented by them, staying late in the season where hungry bears are foraging for sustenance before hibernation, etc.
I would agree that you should have the right to defend yourself in any manner possible 'if' attacked by a bear, but you seem to simplify this to an absurd black and white scenario where all bear attacks are conducted by mean bears. Sometimes, it's stupid people that do stupid things that put themselves into these situations. If that makes me a 'liberal animals rights extremist', so be it.
Posted by: Rick D on October 14, 2009 04:50 AMNow, you're telling me what I'm thinking, Daniel? That really and truly is 'ridiculous'. Read the first sentence of the 2nd paragraph of my comment above your last for reference.
For one, yes, they [man] is intruding on THEIR [the Bear's] territory. You may not like that reality, but it remains a reality nonetheless when in the wilderness. Otherwise, we'd call the F'ing mall the "WILDerness" and not the "mall" where we humans choose to mingle, forage for food and get the necessities to sustain our existence- ours is just a wee bit more condensed territory. If you're still confused by what I'm trying to say, just take the first 4 bold letters in the word above and utter it until it finally sinks in.
For Two I didn't "imply man was guilty for an attack", but rather that he may have put himself in a situation where an attack has been made inevitable through careless actions when dealing with a species that lives by the innate 'fight or flight' instinct borne of thousands of years and a less advanced mental capacity to discern "agression" like our species has. It's apples and oranges.
Posted by: Rick D. on October 14, 2009 09:42 PM..and you're nuttier than squirrel droppings.
Posted by: Rick D. on October 15, 2009 08:40 AMIf you are still interested in the subject I have blogged on a recent cougar encounter in Utah and several bear attacks near Anchorage at FindingWilderness.com
Posted by: Carter Mackley on October 15, 2009 09:10 AM