Encountering bears in Alaska
 

My fiance and I are planning a trip to Alaska this summer. At home in Virginia, we're avid day-hikers so we'd really like to do some hiking in Alaska too. Does anyone know how common it really is to encounter bears on Alaskan trails? I'd be really excited to see a bear on the Denali shuttle trip or from our car, but when the two of us are hiking alone in a secluded area it's a different story. To be honest, I'm trying to decide if it's worth the risk. Any advice?

We encountered a bear on the street in Juneau, and two moose in a city park in Anchorage.

Not likely, moose possible but still rare. Best is to have "bear bells" attached to your pants. I forgot mine once and instead took an empty soda can and filled it with rocks. No bears to be seen. :)

Thanks for the feedback. No one else here who's been hiking in Alaska? Has anyone tried bear spray?

We'd also appreciate any suggestions people might have for good trails in the Valdez and Hmer areas. Thanks

My family drove to Alaska in the 70's on a dirt road known as the AlCan highway (in Canada). Across from one campsite I walked through a small grove of pine trees to watch a freight train and was quite distressed to see a large brown bear about a 100 feet away patrolling the trackside, needless to say I did the worst possible thing and ran like HE-double toothpicks back to the campground-fortunately the bear did not give chase!!!#o

I think making a lot of noise while hiking on the trail is a good idea, but you might save yourself some $) by a hike up the Appalaichan trail to NJ, where my mom occasionally encounters black bears in her backyard. :S-

I just started reading Peter Jenkin's "Looking for Alaska". Problems with bears are rare. When they happen it's horrendous. Last summer a fisherman was seriously mauled near a campground on the Russian River. This week a hired guard protecting a work crew near Soldotna was mauled. They were working in bear country and disturbed a den by accident. Making noise seems to be the best precaution and so does paying attention to where there is a problem with a bear. (The trails near the Russian River were closed.) Read the Anchorage Daily News (www.adn.com), talk to park rangers and game wardens. Follow the recommended precautions. Know what to do if you should see a bear. Unless there are cubs or food involved, from what I have read, bears would just as soon not have an encounter with people. (Hence the reason to make noise.)
Our son has done a lot of hiking north of Anchorage and has not had a problem with bears. The only time we saw a bear it was near the Alyeska resort. Bad encounters with bears are pretty rare.

My husband and I went to Alaska 3 years ago and did a bit of day hiking. The only bears we saw were from the shuttle in Denali and from the whale-watching boat that took us to our lodgings in Glacier Bay Nat'l Park. We heard about a sow with cubs that had been sighted near the trails at Exit Glacier but didn't spot them.

My best advice is what everyone told us before we went up there. Use common sense and make noise. Generally just carrying on a conversation is sufficient. Don't carry smelly food with you. Check at the ranger stations for updates. They don't want anything to happen to you or the bears.

By all means go to Alaska and get out and enjoy this magnificent place. You really don't have to go far at all to get away from people, esp. if you avoid the cruise ship ports on the days ships are in.

We plan to go back again once we hit all the parks and sites we want to see in the lower 48.

Have a great trip.

Frances

If you hike in Denali, I believe the rangers have a mini course or video on hiking safety/bear & wildllife encounters/etc. which they recommend you sit in on before you take your hike.

RE: Bear Spray

This is really the best protection in a confrontation. 2 things though...

1. It is illegal to transport any of these sprays into Canada. If found it will be confiscated at the border.

2. Get the good stuff. Guard Alaska is what you want http://www.bear-pepper-spray.com/ and then of course you need to have it handy on a belt holster.

Make your own choices.

Do you know if the Guard Alaska is available in stores? Given flight restrictions, I was thinking about buying some in Anchorage when we got there.

Thanks to all for the feedback. It seems like you hear a lot of horror stories about bear attacks. The hype makes it hard to know how common they really are.

Statistically the chances of a day hiker being attacked by a bear in Alaska are probably not much different from the chances of getting attacked by a cougar in suburban Sacramento. More fatlities in recent years from the latter I believe.

Normal precautions, buy bear spray if it makes you feel better, make noise while you walk. If you see a baby bear get away from it. If you end up between a baby and its mother, kiss your butt farewell; your bear spray will be about as effective as the .45s people pack on fishing trips. Not.

But if you're on the sorts of trails used by other day hikers, don't be too worried because they don't like the way you smell.

We have been to different areas of Alaska 5 times in the last 2 years since my daughter moved to Juneau. Each time we have camped out. My wife and I use a tent but my daughter and her friensd just sleep on the ground. We hike daily, some times long hikes and sometimes we even run the trails as we are avid trail runners. We commonly see bears but they don't pay much attention to us. I think they have so much food to eat that they are not interested. The black bears are more shy but the brown bears seem predictible -- they come out of the forest, grab a salmon, return to the forest. One walked within 50 ft. of our camp on the beach but never even looked at us. I am going again in May and plan on doing a lot of hiking. Can't wait.