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Re: Bears on the Trail
>Marshall DeBerry talked about an encounter with a bear on the AT in NJ. I
>know from time to time folks have talked about bears on the trial however, I
>don't remember anyone giving a definitive explanation of what one might do
>upon coming face to face with one of these denizens of the trial. Since
>many live to tell the tail, is there not much danger in the meeting of human
>and bear? I seem to recall banging a pot or blowing a whistle as the
>deterrent of choice. Thanks
I met a thru-hiker last year while on the trail in PA that told me a
frightening story: while in the smokies he slept with a number of other
people in one of the fenced-in shelters. In the middle of the night, a
bear started charging at the gate repeatedly. It lumbered away and the
inhabitants thought they were free. Shortly, however, the inhabitants of
the shelter heard their bear climbing on the shelter roof- one of those
thin tin things. Around sunrise it finally left.
I don't know how common this is, but I sure wouldn't want it happening to me.
Matt Holmes
'Strider'
holmess@ufrsd.k12.nj.us