If you were watching the national news yesterday, you might have heard mention of another deadly bear attack in Yellowstone National Park. Two hikers found the deceased man on the Mary Mountain trail. He was alone and there was evidence that it was a bear attack, including tracks, hair and bear droppings. You can read the full news article online (click here).
Unfortunately, the is the second deadly bear attack in Yellowstone this year. I talked about the first one in a previous post (click here). Given that this man was hiking alone, we will probably never know the circumstances of what happened.
There are several things you can do to reduce the risk of encountering a bear on a hike, as well as several tips for what to do if you encounter a bear.
First, I think as a general rule, never hike alone. If you get injured, you have no one to go get help for you. Often times you can't get cell phone reception, especially when in the middle of the parks.
Second, when hiking in bear country, make a lot of noise. Seriously, the louder you are, the more likely a bear knows you are around. If you are hiking with someone, talk loudly and often. This is what my husband and I did when hiking some backcountry trails in Yellowstone. Another option is to wear bear bells. You may sound like Christmas while you walk down the trail, but it should hopefully provide proper warning to all bears.
Third, be prepared in case a bear does show up. Some tips below to help you with that.
-Carry pepper spray. Pepper spray can be a very good deterrent if a bear decides to attack.
-Actually keep the pepper spray somewhere where you can get to it quickly. Don't bury it in the middle of your pack. Keep hanging on the outside of your pack if possible so you can reach in a hurry if need be.
-If you see a bear, and it is not approaching you, slowly walk away.
-Try to avoid direct eye contact with the bear. You don't want to come off as a threat.
-Do not run!!! They may look slow, but bears have some speed on them.
-Do not climb a tree to escape a bear. They can climb a lot better than you, especially black bears.
-If the bear attacks, lie flat on your stomach or curl into a ball on your side. You have more vital organs that can be reached from the front than from the back.
-Try to remain calm and make as little noise as possible.
-If you see a mother bear with cubs, get out of there. Mothers are protective and will attack to make sure her cubs aren't harmed.
Hope these are some useful tips if you find yourself heading out to bear country.
Showing posts with label Yellowstone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yellowstone. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Staying safe in the parks
The hubby pointed two articles out to me today in the paper that were related to the national parks and how important it is to heed the warnings out there for staying safe in the parks.
The first article (click here) mentions that the body of a man who died after being swept over a waterfall in Yosemite National Park has been found. This individual and two others from his church group crossed over the safety barricade at Vernal Falls on July 20th. The other two bodies still haven't been found and rangers say the only reason one body was found was because of low water.
Guys, this is a big no-no. What you might consider to be the perfect shot is not worth your life. Guard rails and barricades are up for a reason. When it comes to water features in the parks, you will never be a proper judge of how swift the water is. So, don't step into them!! There are lots of great cliffs, canyons, and rock formations. You never know when there will be loose rocks, so be careful around those too. The park is great about putting up warning signs, so follow them. My favorites were those around the geysers in Yellowstone National park. Was I amused by this sign, most definitely. But, is it trying to prove a point, heck yes it is, don't step on the geysers!!
Another safety concern in the parks are interactions with animals. This second article (click here) is about a hiker being mauled in Glacier National Park. Fortunately, he was able to walk for help. Unfortunately, this was not the case for another hiker in Yellowstone. Approximately a month ago, a man and his wife surprised a momma bear and her cubs on a trail and the momma bear attacked and killed the man. You can read more about this story here (click here). This most recent attack involved a momma bear with her cub too.
All animals in the parks should be considered dangerous, but momma animals with their babies should be considered especially dangerous. No animals should ever be approached!! If you see an animal on the trail, keep a safe distance and watch where it goes before moving on. Just some examples of how I have handled animal encounters or have gone about preventing them.
1) Hubby and I were hiking the Lake Jenny trail in the Tetons. When on the trail, we noticed a young moose ahead. We made sure to keep a safe distance from it since we did not know if a mother moose would be nearby. An angry momma moose is NOT something you want to mess with. They can reach 600-800 pounds. We watched the young moose and it eventually wandered off and we continued on our way. Here is a pic of the guy I was able to capture at a safe distance.
2) On hubby and I's first night in Yellowstone, there was a bison hanging out in the Madison Campground. Once again we kept a safe distance. Here is an interesting fact for you, more people are injured in Yellowstone by bison each year than by bear. They make look like big fluffy cows, but they will hurt you!! The guy we saw was just lounging about and chewing on grass and eventually moved on.
3) Two bits of info here. When hubby and I were hiking to Grizzly Lake, it was considered a back country trail, which means it wasn't well traveled. Anytime you are hiking in bear country, you want to make sure you let the bears know you are coming. One thing you should do is make noise. Hubby and I made sure to talk loudly the entire time. You can also go as far as buying bear bells so you can jingle all along the trail. There are several other precautions you should take if you actually encounter a bear in person. This article (click here) gives lots of good information.
While on the trail, we encountered a yellow-bellied marmot. The thing was cute, but once again, we kept a safe distance. You never know how an animal will react. But this marmot sure did like posing for my camera.
4) Speaking of bears, if you are in a park that has a bear box, use it!! You don't want a bear sniffing around your campsite. Additionally, pick up all other items when they aren't in use and put it in the bear box or in the car.
5) Lastly, the ponies in Assateague National Seashore. So many people go up to pet these creatures, which isn't cool. The National Park Service has a page of information about how to view these horses safely (click here). Getting too close to the horses poses a danger to you and the ponies.
The first article (click here) mentions that the body of a man who died after being swept over a waterfall in Yosemite National Park has been found. This individual and two others from his church group crossed over the safety barricade at Vernal Falls on July 20th. The other two bodies still haven't been found and rangers say the only reason one body was found was because of low water.
Guys, this is a big no-no. What you might consider to be the perfect shot is not worth your life. Guard rails and barricades are up for a reason. When it comes to water features in the parks, you will never be a proper judge of how swift the water is. So, don't step into them!! There are lots of great cliffs, canyons, and rock formations. You never know when there will be loose rocks, so be careful around those too. The park is great about putting up warning signs, so follow them. My favorites were those around the geysers in Yellowstone National park. Was I amused by this sign, most definitely. But, is it trying to prove a point, heck yes it is, don't step on the geysers!!
Another safety concern in the parks are interactions with animals. This second article (click here) is about a hiker being mauled in Glacier National Park. Fortunately, he was able to walk for help. Unfortunately, this was not the case for another hiker in Yellowstone. Approximately a month ago, a man and his wife surprised a momma bear and her cubs on a trail and the momma bear attacked and killed the man. You can read more about this story here (click here). This most recent attack involved a momma bear with her cub too.
All animals in the parks should be considered dangerous, but momma animals with their babies should be considered especially dangerous. No animals should ever be approached!! If you see an animal on the trail, keep a safe distance and watch where it goes before moving on. Just some examples of how I have handled animal encounters or have gone about preventing them.
1) Hubby and I were hiking the Lake Jenny trail in the Tetons. When on the trail, we noticed a young moose ahead. We made sure to keep a safe distance from it since we did not know if a mother moose would be nearby. An angry momma moose is NOT something you want to mess with. They can reach 600-800 pounds. We watched the young moose and it eventually wandered off and we continued on our way. Here is a pic of the guy I was able to capture at a safe distance.
2) On hubby and I's first night in Yellowstone, there was a bison hanging out in the Madison Campground. Once again we kept a safe distance. Here is an interesting fact for you, more people are injured in Yellowstone by bison each year than by bear. They make look like big fluffy cows, but they will hurt you!! The guy we saw was just lounging about and chewing on grass and eventually moved on.
 |
| Me pointing at the bison from a safe distance. |
3) Two bits of info here. When hubby and I were hiking to Grizzly Lake, it was considered a back country trail, which means it wasn't well traveled. Anytime you are hiking in bear country, you want to make sure you let the bears know you are coming. One thing you should do is make noise. Hubby and I made sure to talk loudly the entire time. You can also go as far as buying bear bells so you can jingle all along the trail. There are several other precautions you should take if you actually encounter a bear in person. This article (click here) gives lots of good information.
While on the trail, we encountered a yellow-bellied marmot. The thing was cute, but once again, we kept a safe distance. You never know how an animal will react. But this marmot sure did like posing for my camera.
4) Speaking of bears, if you are in a park that has a bear box, use it!! You don't want a bear sniffing around your campsite. Additionally, pick up all other items when they aren't in use and put it in the bear box or in the car.
5) Lastly, the ponies in Assateague National Seashore. So many people go up to pet these creatures, which isn't cool. The National Park Service has a page of information about how to view these horses safely (click here). Getting too close to the horses poses a danger to you and the ponies.
 |
| These folks are getting too close. |
So, overall be safe!! If you want to enjoy the National Parks, take the time to follow all safety rules and suggestions.
Friday, August 5, 2011
National Parks and Volcanoes
I just wanted to do a quick write up about National Parks and volcanoes after I saw this article on CNN. A portion of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park had to be closed due to a crater in the Kilauea volcano collapsing, causing lava flows in two directions. Wow, can you imagine visiting a National Park and have to consider whether or not a volcano will erupt!! That is both really cool but perhaps a little daunting. The park does a good job of keeping visitors updated about the volcano and the latest eruption information, which is monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey.
There are other parks and monuments that have a volcanic undertone. First, Yellowstone National Park. This thing is resting on top of a caldera (a volcano that has collapsed upon itself). I'm sure you have seen some sort of ridiculous T.V. program about how this thing might blow any minute. The park's website calls B.S. on that rumor (click here). It is this caldera that provides all the fuel for the geyers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. You can find out more about hydrothermal activity through Yellowstone's website (click here).
There is also the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The last major eruption was on May 18, 1980. There is a lot of research going on there, including how ecosystems recover after eruptions. You can learn more about this national monument through their website (click here).
Volcanoes are fascinating. They are a surface connection to the workings of the inner earth. These are just a few examples of parks with a volcanic past and present. Oregon State University has a great website (click here) that lists some other parks and monuments with a volcanic history. So, if you are a volcano enthusiast, there a lot of places in the good ole' U.S.A. you can go check out.
There are other parks and monuments that have a volcanic undertone. First, Yellowstone National Park. This thing is resting on top of a caldera (a volcano that has collapsed upon itself). I'm sure you have seen some sort of ridiculous T.V. program about how this thing might blow any minute. The park's website calls B.S. on that rumor (click here). It is this caldera that provides all the fuel for the geyers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. You can find out more about hydrothermal activity through Yellowstone's website (click here).
There is also the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The last major eruption was on May 18, 1980. There is a lot of research going on there, including how ecosystems recover after eruptions. You can learn more about this national monument through their website (click here).
Volcanoes are fascinating. They are a surface connection to the workings of the inner earth. These are just a few examples of parks with a volcanic past and present. Oregon State University has a great website (click here) that lists some other parks and monuments with a volcanic history. So, if you are a volcano enthusiast, there a lot of places in the good ole' U.S.A. you can go check out.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Day 10-Road Trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park
Well, it is been over a month since I've written. It's been a busy time. I'm happy to say I've submitted my
first scientific manuscript. Also, my wonderful hubby successfully defended his PhD this week, yay!!
Ok, so finally our last day in the park.
After our night in Canyon Village, we woke up to explore the area before we headed down to Grant Village. Of course, we had to start with the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It was absolutely stunning.
At the top of the falls.
My hubby and the river that feeds the falls.
Looking over at the top of the falls.
A great view of the canyon.
The side of the canyon.
A pretty little cliff swallow.
After checking out the canyon, we headed down on the road towards Grant Village. It was a great drive that followed the Yellowstone River. This was actually one our favorite drives that we had in the park.
This picture has a heard of buffalo in the distance.
More buffalo in the distance.
A buffalo staring us down.
This guy decided to walk out onto the road right in front of our car.
He did not want to move and cars coming from the other direction kept slowing down to look at him, so we couldn't go around him for a good 10 minutes.
We stopped at the sulphur caldron and mud volcano area.
This was my favorite geyser. I forget the name, but I like how it is a cave.
Yellowstone Lake-America's highest altitude lake.
There is a hike directly across from the West Thumb Geyser Basin to get a great view of the lake.
When we first approached the trail, we came across a small heard of elk.
Along the way came across some bones. This a vertebral column and pelvis.
A separated pelvis.
The view from the top of our hike.
Hubby and I on our hike.
A miniature waterfall.
After our hike, we checked out the West Thumb Geyser area.
This geyser is called Fishing Cone. Apparently, when fisherman fished in the area, they would catch a fish and then put it directly into this hot geyser to cook the fish instantly.
This is our campsite at Grant Village.
We had an anniversary dinner that evening at the Grant Village Lake House Restaurant.
So, that was our last day. I'll tell you about our trip home in the next post.
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