angie

I am going to be in Telluride,Ouray Durango and Cortez area next week and I have just read reports of bears invading telluride at night in a local newspaper.I was wondering if anyone as had any experiences with bears while hiking in these areas.I am already apprehensive about the affeccts of altitude sickness and now i have to worry about bears.
Many thanks
Angie

I have been researching this trip for the last month on this board and will post my trip report on my return.
Thanks to everyone who helped.

do not

Worries about bears and other wilderness animals, as racoons, mountain lions, etc. can usually be minimalized by being prepared and not doing anything to attract animals. If you are in "city" areas, your worries should be few. Don't leave food inside or near tents. Keep food in trunks, or tie high in a tree away from camping area. Don't feed any wild animal. Put trash in closed trash bins. If you see animals, please view from a distance. Chances are that you will not see a bear, but if you see a bear, try and make yourself appear larger-stand on a rock, put your hands up in the air,and walk slowly backwards. You can carry an animal repellent if it helps you feel better, but only use it in a desparate situation because a repellent can make an animal more angry. If attacked, fight back. Try not to runaway (fast) from an animal, as it becomes a chase for the animal. Information should make you feel better. In 25 years of living in Colorado, and spending a lot of time in the high country, I have never seen a bear. If there have been bear sightings in Telluride last week, buy next week, the crisis may be over. Check at the information center to find out the current recommendation. By all means,enjoy your trip, take adequate precautions, use good judgement, and don't fret

Bill

Good advise. I only see bears when I want to. I go fairly far from camp, climb a tree and be quiet. Then start searching with my bynocs. If they get too close I start making noise and they are gone. While hiking always make noise and you shouldn't have any trouble.

Geoff

Bill, your advice is the good one. Bears flee at the sound of noise. "Stress" has good avice about not peeting animals, keeping distance, etc. But there is one piece of advice that will kill you if you take it. When it comes to bears, and you are attacked, stop, drop and play dead. A bear will not continue if you go limp. Fighting back will get you killed.

And Angie, there's nothing to worry about, if you're outside hicking, make a little noise as you go along. Whistle a toon. You won't see any animals at all.

xx

Does anyone know if the bears around Telluride are grizzly bears or black bears. The advice on how to handle black bears is differnt from how to respond to grizzlies.
Also, if I chew tobacco, will I be hicking properly in Colorado?

do not

There have not been sightings of grizzly bears in Colorado for many, many years. Bears are likely to be brown or black bears.

kam

Friend of mine has condo in Aspen. Because this is such a very dry and unusual summer, the black bears and mountain lions are coming downhill to find water and food. They are not grizzlys but you should stil be careful especially of Moms and their youngs. I think you 'll be quite OK if you are in an area with other humans.

Larry

You can tell the difference between black or brown and grizzly bears by how the react. Climb a tree. If they climb up after you, they are black or brown bears. If they just knock down the tree, probably a grizzly. (small joke)

Jeanette

Thought you may want to know that there are bears doing their garbage thing in Lake Tahoe area also. Relatives have to keep garbage in the house until the morning of pickup. Last week one ripped the doors right off their shed. This is in a densely populated area very near to South Lake Tahoe. Houses are in trees but very close together as in a
subdivision, but at high elevation.