- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 10,122
So last weekend I decided to go for a good training hike, about eight miles each way, along the White Pass & Yukon Railroad grade from Log Cabin down to the old historic gold camp at Lake Bennett, where the Chilkoot Trail finishes. Perfect day, sunny, windy, around 60 F., not another soul in sight. Got there about 1 after two and a half hours. This is bear country (usually, black bear) so I had my bear spray handy in the day pack, plus lunch, and the usual gear -- matches, compass, aluminum survival suit, tarp, hand wipes, TP, cord, water, spare socks, anorak, gloves, toque, polarfleece vest, a pair of lightweight gaiters (to keep the snow out of my boots if I had to do any walking in deep snow), camera, etc. If I saw a lot of fresh bear scat along the way I would consider a shorter hike. But up that high there wasn't much of anything green yet, and there is still lots of snow around, so I figured any bears would be lower down where they could feed on skunk cabbage and new grass (+ carcasses, etc.). Had my lunch by the lake, and headed back up the grade about 2... and there around 100 yards ahead, upwind, was something big and furry bashing around a bush with a piece of fluorescent surveyor's ribbon tied to it. Just playing, it looked like. Then it moved and I could see the sunlight shining through its golden fur. Hmm, I thought; I haven't seen that coloration on black bears, but I have on a lot of grizzlies around here. It started grazing on the long grass (the only green around) next to the railroad grade. There was a lagoon on one side and a steep bank on the other; no way to easily get around; I'd have to shuffle by the bear maybe 20 feet away. I tried blowing my Fox whistle to get its attention; generally, if they know you're there, it's no problem. But the wind was blowing so hard that (a) it didn't hear me, or (b) just wasn't paying any attention. I did not want to startle it by sneaking up on it, because that's when bad things happen with bears. I briefly considered my options. Had the Fieldcraft, one of the 52100 steel ones that Mike Stewart did when he was at Marble's; three inch blade, razor sharp. I could use that to slit my wrists if attacked, I thought. If I used the bear spray in that wind it would just blow back in my face, and I understand that bears like spicy food. So I conceded the trail, walked back to Bennett and took a back route around the bear, going up the old Chilkoot Trail a couple of miles, then another mile back to the railroad grade, well beyond the bear. There was some knee deep snow (the gaiters came in handy), and it added about two hours and three miles to the trek, but it wasn't that taxing. Probably the adrenalin helped. So it worked out to about 19 miles, good training.
