Backpacking Episode 1

Serenity. That’s what the still image evokes. That’s what it brings to the forefront of my mind and memory. Those calm, cool mornings before anyone else was up; before you could hear people shuffling along the trail; when the rising fish were the only things breaking the glass lake. But the true environment was more dynamic than that. The reality was that this morning brought a sense of relief with a little paranoia. For just 24 hours earlier, we had been charged by a bear.

I was 26 years old, and my dad was taking me backpacking for the first time. We were headed into the John Muir Wilderness for an extended weekend. Our first night was spent in a designated campground just below the trailhead we would depart on in the morning. Others staying in the campground warned us of a local female black bear that no longer had a fear of or sensitivity to people. We saw her that night as she did the rounds, smelling what everyone was cooking for dinner. She kept her distance and seemed content to just people watch. We had experienced bears in camp before and her initial behavior wasn’t anything unusual. Still, even once we were tucked inside our tents, I was wary of every noise the forest made, convinced it was the bear coming to get us.

The next morning, my dad and I were the first ones up and about in camp. We started packing up gear and getting food out to make breakfast. We paused when we saw the bear come down into camp and start checking out all the sites, sniffing around for left out food. At first it was kind of neat seeing a bear so close, that is until she decided to come check out what we had going on. Deliberate walk to run, out of nowhere charging straight at us. The bear stopped short and looked us over. My dad and I had stood our ground, which was not what she was hoping for. Well, let me revise that. My dad stood his ground. I went completely numb, feeling the blood drain from my face, and did what I was not supposed to do - I backed away. I backed up and side stepped behind my dad, turning him into my 6’4” protection wall. At this point he had the bear spray out and aimed and was shouting at the bear. I was holding an air horn but I was shaking so bad I broke the top off and could not get it to make noise. This entire ordeal mabey lasted a minute, or two at most, but it seemed like eons and like everything was in slow motion. The bear didn’t test us again and wandered off leaving us on an adrenaline high. I don’t think I gave my dad a chance to think over what just happened since he now had to help me calm down from a shot of anxiety. It was anything but a serene morning in the mountains.

The rest of the day, and the rest of our backpacking excursion, went on without any other animal encounters. That didn’t stop me from worrying that the bear had followed us up the trail and would come back for round two though. But despite the bluff charge, and despite my general stress around back packing for the first time, and a couple more ups and downs, we did manage to find some peace and tranquility. Those mornings watching the sun come into the valley, awaking and warming everything as the light spread, were absolutely beautiful. And the evenings fishing, listening to the sounds of the lake were just as stunning. All in all this was an incredible, unforgettable trip; one that really rekindled an admiration of the outdoors and love for the mountains.

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This photo was taken with a small point and shoot. Some editing in Lightroom helped to define the jagged mountain edges and that inviting morning light.