Grizzly's on the PCT

[2009ThruHiker]

While our thru of the AT isn't planned until 2009, i'm already dreaming of a 2010-11 thru of the PCT; but my wife isn't. She's fine with the AT and black bears and moose, but the thought of cougars and especially Grizzly's scare her to no end. Anyone out there know of any ways to ease her mind on this subject?

[Sly]

Yeah, the gizzlies aren't until the very end of the trail in northern Washington, by that time she'll be trail wise. That and the fact I've never heard of a PCT hiker ever seeing a griz.

If you want to see grizz hike the CDT.

[Spirit Walker]

Education helps - reading about grizzlies helps you to understand what triggers attacks and how rare they actually are. Spending time in grizzly country also helps because you start to realize that they aren't really around every corner, just waiting to attack.

We saw more bears on the AT than on the PCT, and they were more aggressive. But they still don't scare me -

[TJ aka Teej]

We saw more bears on the AT than on the PCT, and they were more aggressive. But they still don't scare me -

"Don't worry none about Bear. Just treat him like any other person."
- Joe Neptune, who guided with my Dad back in the 60s.

[virtualfrog]

The people are scarier than ole Mr. Griz.

[Geo.]

While our thru of the AT isn't planned until 2009, i'm already dreaming of a 2010-11 thru of the PCT; but my wife isn't. She's fine with the AT and black bears and moose, but the thought of cougars and especially Grizzly's scare her to no end. Anyone out there know of any ways to ease her mind on this subject?

I wouldn't worry too much about grizzlies on the PCT. It's roughly estimated that there are only between 15 to 30 of them in all of the north Cascades from southern BC in Canada to Snoqualmie Pass in Washington. (I 90)
I saw none and haven't heard of any other PCT hikers having seen one either. (though that doesn't mean someone hasn't!)
You could also point out that in the past 100yrs there has apparently been only around 50 recorded killings by Black Bears and even slightly less by Brown Bears, (Grizzlies) so the odds are in your favour.
I doubt that you'd even meet up with a cougar, and if there are two or more of you there should be even less chance.
Follow the usual 'bear rules' re' food cooking and storage, not giving them a surprise or getting between a bear and its cubs and I think you'd be just fine.

[chris]

I've spent a lot of time over the last four years in the Cascades and have met only one person who has seen a grizzly (and that I believe). That was in the Rainier area. So, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Dogwood]

Tell her to relax about the cougars and grizzlies. You'll see far scarier carnivores at a Chinese Food Buffet!

[Pacific Tortuga]

I lived and worked in the North Cascade Wilderness for two years, Holden Village near Stehkin and always heard of others seeing Grizzly's but, I didn't.
Hike up there and you know they have to be near in that country.

[ScottP]

I got stalked by a mountain lion on the PCT. makes for a good story.

[Feral Bill]

While our thru of the AT isn't planned until 2009, i'm already dreaming of a 2010-11 thru of the PCT; but my wife isn't. She's fine with the AT and black bears and moose, but the thought of cougars and especially Grizzly's scare her to no end. Anyone out there know of any ways to ease her mind on this subject?

Except where they are spoiled, as in Glacier NP, grizzlies are a trivial concern. I hike mostly in grizzly country (northern Idaho and Canadian Rockies) and have taken my kids since they were small. At best I've seen fresh tracks. Worry about lightning, stream crossings and ticks. Those are real risks.

[Frosty]

Telling people who are afraid of something not to worry is pointless. Having them read up on bear attacks is worse. It doesn't matter how rare they are, if you are afraid of a bear attack, you are not going to enjoy a hike, because you know it COULD happen. Rare or not, bear attacks DO happen.

It isn't like people are murdered often on the GA AT, but look how many posts were devoted to that murder and how many people now want to carry guns and not talk or hike with people they don't know. People are afraid - someone was bothered so much he even started a carry-a-gun thread in the straight forward forum, so that no one could tell him not to be afraid.

Random is scary, especially if the danger already has you worried.

In this case, since grizzlies are only found at the end of the trail (assuming NOBO), simply say, "Hike until northern Washington. If you are still concerned, leave the trail and I will meet you in a couple weeks." Better yet, don't worry about the last few miles of the PCT until you've started the first miles of the AT.

Chances are after a few months in the woods, her attitude will be different. Yours, too, perhaps. See what happens after the AT hike.

[rafe]

I got stalked by a mountain lion on the PCT. makes for a good story.

A guy I hiked with back in GA was convinced that he'd been "saved" by a bobcat on the trail. In telling his story, he seemed to believe that the cat led him down off the mountain, in time to avoid a fierce winter storm. I'm skeptical, but it was a good story in any case.

[SunnyWalker]

I've hiked in the Pacific NW all my life. I have never seen a Grizzly. I don't want to really see them . . . and guess what, they don't want to see me or you either. Not to worry, they'll hear you long before you see them and they'll skeedadle.

[sbhikes]

I didn't know there were grizzlies up there. Wow!

Any time you talk about a long hike like this people's fears instantly go straight to bears and lions. Seriously, the most dangerous and frightening thing on the trail is water (streams, snow and dehydration).

[Datto]

but the thought of cougars and especially Grizzly's scare her to no end. Anyone out there know of any ways to ease her mind on this subject?

The big cougar just south of Timberline Lodge: Not Scary.

The bears sitting on the PCT in Washington: Not Scary.

The Oregon Mosquito: Scary.

Datto

[Mags]

As others said, seeing a griz on the PCT is slim to none.

I am doing to Denver tonight for a low-key bachelor party. (Most of the people in attendance are married with kids!). I'm sure I'll see plenty of cougars in down town Denver tonight.

[sarbar]

Your chances of seeing a grizzly in Washington State is near to zero. There is evidence that a few have migrated in back from Canada. They stay well to themselves - and have yet to be seen outside of photo/evidence traps that the NP sets to see where they are moving. There was one very, very remote trail the NCNP did shut down for a year or so due to the .0000001% chance that the grizzly they thought might be there would show up.

The black bears in Washington State are mostly tiny and will run (since black bear hunting is a legal sport).

Honestly? The worst thing I can think of is the mosquitoes. OMG!!!! AGH!!!! Indian Heaven Wilderness, William Douglass Wilderness in August with all those LAKES. You are near running as a cloud of bugs obscures the sun. Stop for water? No! Run! On one section hike I was bitten so many times along the PCT in WD Wilderness that my legs and arms appeared to be bright pink. 400 bites? At least. And that was in ONE day!

On the comment about a grizzly being seen in Rainier? Not likely. The bear would have to travel very far south, and have crossed many mountain passes over highways. Black bears live in Rainier aplenty - very good living to be had, tons of food and no hunters - but Rainier is in the Central/South Cascades of Washington. Black bears do come in brown and cinnamon though - there is one bear at Rainier known for her color and her jaw dropping ability to breed triplets over and over. And her talent of shredding logs in front of Wonderland hikers with the kidlets watching.

Near Mt. Baker? Maybe, but only in the remote sections closer to the wilderness.

[sarbar]

Good story about a cougar encounter:
A couple winters ago in the Olympics there was a couple dayhiking into the interior, to Royal Basin, in the snow. His wife was ahead, when suddenly she stopped. A cougar was coming at her pell mell, chasing a hare. The hare went between her legs and escaped. The cougar looked up, saw the lady and in a cartoon fashion, legs went everywhere, trying to brake, did a 180 and ran like hell from them.

This same trail has a ledge above it in one area, covered by trees that a resident cougar is well known to loiter on. Apparently its tail has been seen, hanging down from the foliage. Lord! It is simply curious.

I have seen Bobcats in winter - they are soooo pretty!

One snowshoeing trip at Rainier we came across a set of tracks - one a cougar, one a hare, going across a frozen alpine lake in the snow. Eventually the hare tracks stopped. Someone had dinner that night.

Years ago my husband and I were paced by what was most likely a cougar in the Olympics. It walked next to us in the under brush, loud as can be. The theory is if it is loud you are in no danger. It is just bored and wants to see what you are doing.

The other theory is the real danger is when you are "small" looking - if you come across a small cougar that is starving (often young males). So when doing your bathroom business and squatting - have a rock or tree behind your back - not open exposure where there is coverage for the cougar. Apparently in a number of attacks the cougar attacked from behind - grabbing onto the victims neck, an easy prey.

[sbhikes]

The Oregon Mosquito: Scary.

Datto

Yes indeed. I ran for my life through Oregon. That only made them worse. I'm glad I took a lot of pictures in Oregon. I never saw anything through my bug net and with all the running until I got home and could look through my pictures. Sure was pretty there.