Outdoor Adventures - Hiking: Bear Safety Tips

There is little more restorative than time outdoors.

While hiking is not my first love, I am a triathlete by nature, it is something I enjoy doing. My husband, on the other hand, was made for the rough and tumble mountains. When I became ill at the start of the summer, it became clear I would not be able to compete in my planned race season, I needed another goal. Why not take something as lovely as a hike in the woods and slap an unrealistic goal on it to take away any possibility this could be a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives? Enter the New England Trail 50/100 Challenge https://newenglandtrail.org/get-on-the-trail/net-hike-50-challenge. Ah, the pursuit of endless 'bling' and confirmation of continual self-improvement, this time in the form of a patch. Here we sit on September 23rd, with 50+ miles already logged toward our goal.

Given that we are enjoying so much of our time on our beautiful trail system, this is an opportune time to share some of my 'lessons learned' with others also interested in immersing themselves in the “wonderful sounds of nature” (I love that commercial!).

Our last hike took us from the West Hartford Reservoir #6 south to Route 6 in Farmington via the Metacomet Trail. It was a lovely nine’ish mile route, long and varied, some areas were overgrown and not well marked. It’s not a technical hike, parts of this section can be enjoyed by hikers with a wide range of abilities. Though, there were some areas toward the end where the ground was covered with small to medium rocks, which made hiking on tired legs and ankles challenging.

But what I really want to talk about: bears! I saw my very first bear in the wild. He was standing against a tree when we turned and locked eyes. Bill and I, stunned and navigating the adrenaline rush flooding our hearts, backtracked. We walked less than a quarter mile away and stopped to contemplate our future and mortality. No doubt, a good time to review bear safety tips taken from the CT-DEEP website:

Bears in natural settings normally leave an area once they have sensed a human, but here’s what to do if you see one while out hiking or walking:

• DO make your presence known by making noise.

• DO keep dogs on a leash and under control.

• DO back away slowly if you surprise a bear nearby.

• DON'T approach or try to get close to a bear to get a photo or video.

• DON'T run or climb a tree.

• DO be offensive if the bear approaches you; make more noise, wave your arms, and throw objects at the bear.

• AGGRESSION BY BLACK BEARS TOWARDS HUMANS IS EXCEPTIONALLY RARE, but if you are attacked, DO NOT play dead. Fight back with anything available.

After a few deep breaths, some laughs and a fist bump, we decided to forge ahead, making lots of noise and keeping an eye on our new friend, who was now lazily sitting at his tree and watching us pass by. We were clearly more affected by his presence, than he was of ours.

So, if you see a bear, yell, bang your hiking poles, use a whistle, carry pepper spray (just in case). If you’re like me and have a horrific singing voice, sing a song. Here’s my retched song of choice, inspired by Patrick Swayze in the movie “Ghost”:

"I'm Henry the eighth I am

Henry the eighth I am, I am

I got married to the widow next door

She's been married seven times before…"

Demi Moore never had it so good!