"The Other Day, I Met a Bear..."

...Except I was the one in tennis shoes, and she was protecting her cubs!

Yesterday, I was running from Poo Poo Point to the top of West Tiger 1 on the Poo Top Trail (a seldom used, one-mile grunt to the peak). I've not seen anyone on this trail the two times I've been on it. I think most people take the road. It's a steep pitch along a ridge top with deeply shaded forest and no undergrowth.

I was about half way up the trail when a small plane flew over, which makes me think of my dad, who is deceased and loved airplanes. I never talk to him out loud, but for some reason I did. I said hello, and asked him for help getting through my run safely--my right hamstring was strained and I tripped, further straining it, in the beginning of the run. I was afraid I'd truly injure the hamstring. I had a second thought that maybe I needed his help for something more important like an encounter with a bear.

Moments later I heard a sound to my right on the downhill side of the trail. I looked to see two bear cubs climbing a tree about 30 feet away. I froze, pulled out my bear spray and removed the safety. My heart was pounding and my voice shaky as I sang the old Girl Scout song about a bear in tennis shoes (the first thing that came to mind). WHERE WAS MAMA BEAR? As I walked backwards up the steep pitch, I looked in all directions trying to spot her. If I was between her and her cubs, I was in deep trouble. As the trail brought me to a higher vantage, I saw she was at the base of the tree her babies had climbed. I continued to walk backwards up the trail in an awkward shuffle, talking to her all the while. She turned her head to look from her cubs to me, and I looked away. I was utterly alone on what appeared to be trail no one uses in an isolated area.

A few minutes later, I began walking forward, and when I could see the microwave tower on the peak, I put the safety back on the bear spray. I was so relieved to find four hikers having lunch on Tiger 1. I chatted nervously with them and told them what had happened. They were completely unaware that there were bears and cougars in the Tiger-Squak-Cougar corridor.

Later, I wondered what had warned the cubs to scamper up the tree before I passed by. I realized had I not spoken out loud to my dad, which I never do, I likely would have startled the bears and could have found myself in a dangerous situation. You don't want to surprise a bear, especially one with cubs.

Last week was the first time I had carried bear spray on my long run, mostly due to a national news story a few weeks ago of two mountain bikers from Seattle being attacked by an emaciated cougar in the nearby North Bend-Fall City area. The cougar killed one of the men. My husband had me watch a couple of YouTube videos about how to use bear spray effectively. I was so thankful for this because I knew exactly what to do yesterday.

Here's what to know about black bear encounters and bear spray:

• Assume that there are bears and cougars if you are in the woods. They are (especially) in green spaces in densely populated areas.
• Have your spray readily accessible. It must be OUTSIDE of your pack and reachable within seconds.
• If a bear charges you, you have at most 10 seconds to get your bear spray out, safety off, and use it.
• If you have to spray, aim the nozzle downward so that the spray drifts up into the bear's nose. It's pepper spray, so you want the bear to breathe it in and hopefully be incapacitated long enough for you to get away.
• Be aware of wind. It will change the trajectory of the spray, which is a bright red, possibly blowing it away from the bear, or even back on you!
• Use a short burst of about three seconds. Do it again if the bear is undeterred.
• Don't look the bear in the eye. It will take you as a threat.
• Do not run away from a bear. Instead, back away slowly. Talk.
• A mother bear with cubs is most dangerous. She will do whatever she has to in order to protect her cubs, and you will be interpreted as a threat.
• Bear bells apparently don't deter bears. The human voice is more effective. Since I run alone, and will be alone on the PCT, I plan to wear a bell on my shoe (it can't hurt) and sing.
• Listen to your gut. 
• Don't hike or run with headphones or earbuds. You need to be 100 percent aware of your surroundings.
• Check the expiration date on your bear spray. 

In all, I am glad to have the encounter with the bears yesterday so I have at least had a chance to practice. I had no trouble getting to my bear spray and remembered everything I was supposed to do. 

While it would have been cool to snap a few pictures of the bears, I decided my safety was paramount. Thus, I only have a couple of pretty views from earlier in the run. I ran from Lakemont Blvd. on Cougar Mountain, over Squak, and then to all three Tiger Peaks plus Poo Poo Point. It took me 7 hours 14 minutes, and I had 7,000 feet of elevation gain, and 7,500 feet of elevation loss.

I had such lovely morning light on One View Trail, making my way from Poo Poo Point to West Tiger 1.

I am amazed how prominent the high school/middle school footprint is now from the vista at Poo Poo Point. A large crowd was snacking and resting on the hillside to the right of the hang glider take off area. To the left of the girls is a small white blip. It's a hang glider.

I ran with just one pole and I really like it. I could switch it to the right hand and peek at my watch, I could collapse it easily to carry it, and I could take a drink from my bladder. These are all things that require two hands, so with a second pole, these things are difficult. I used the pole in my left hand mostly going uphill, and in my right hand going down. This was mostly to protect my right hamstring. My left (weaker) arm is sore today, but my legs are not. I especially liked having one hand free when it came time to get the bear spray ready. I will be sewing a velcro strap on the side of my running vestpack so that I can secure the pole there (collapsed) when not in use.

Rain is in the forecast for the next several days, so I am hoping to finish my "tivy" in my evening hours after work and dinner.