Encounter

I am sure if I lived closer to the Montana wilderness I would probably be calmer about the prospect of meeting a grizzly while backpacking. But I just don't feel as relaxed up there as I do in the Colorado backcountry, where we only have black bears and mountain lions.

The warning sign on the way in didnt help much, saying that this is an area with high grizzly activity. Then there was the tall wooden sign as you entered the wilderness area, which had its bottom right chewed on. As I looked close I could see faint lines in threes and fours all over the sign, as if something with large claws had been holding on while gnashing on the wood.

I camped at the trailhead and started early, no more than twenty minutes after sunrise. You can believe I was alert as I hiked up through the shadowy tall woods at the start of my backpack trip to the Alp Lake valley.

An hour up the trail, I got a glimpse of something dark watching me from behind an evergreen, twenty feet ahead. Knowing this was way too close, and wondering if it would charge out from behind the tree, I quickly reached for my large canistor of pepper spray at my waist. In my excitement I pressed too hard as I flipped off the safety tab, releasing a small cloud of pepper spray up and to my left. Some of it drifted down across my face.

That is the sort of thing that can happen in the presence of a large bear. Simple things become difficult. A hunter once pulled the trigger time after time as a wounded bear charged him, with no results. His gun was examined after he died. It was in good condition, but the safety lever had not been flipped up.

I can attest to the potency of Counter Assault Bear Deterrent. It is designed to irritate tender skin and eyes. My skin immediately burned like fire, and I could barely see.

I managed to keep my composure long enough to see a black cow walk from behind the tree, as my dogs barked to hurry him off. I then dropped to the ground.

After ten minutes of dealing with the pain, I recovered enough to start on again, hoping that my vision would eventually clear. A while later we came to a small stream. I knelt down and splashed water on my face to wash off the residue. That made it hurt worse, and I leaned over in pain.

Ben and Maggie came by and muzzled and licked me, concerned for my well being.

There is another good thing about dogs. They stand by you, as true friends, no matter what kind of stupid things you do, oblivious that they have a damn fool for a master.