Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

[GlitterHiker]

We're having a spurt of glorious weather, so I'm heading outdoors and decided to venture out to Western Maryland for some primitive camping in a state forest ... that has bears. I admit I'm a bit nervous ...

My very first camping trip last year was to that forest. But then I knew nothing, just bought a tent, and headed out there. Just for the adventure of it. I stayed one night and when I got home, I thought: What did I just do ?!?!?

Now I know a whole lot more, which actually makes me a bit apprehensive, and have been sticking to camping in "civilized" local state and county parks.

I have my bear spray and a bear canister; will keep food, toothpaste, etc inside my car. I "know" what to do if I see a bear, so logically I'm prepared. But I expect I'll get very little sleep the first night (I hope to stay 2 nights).

[renodesertfox]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

You'll sleep like a bear! Heehee! Have fun! Stay safe, we're expecting a wonderful trip report upon your return!

[Flibitygiget]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

I would advise not putting your food inside your car if your are truly in Bear Country. I have seen the doors ripped off of vehicles and RVs due to bears going after the food. Hang it from between 2 trees out of reach of the bears, not from one tree as they can climb. Try to get it about 15 yards or more from your tent if possible.

[Ramaniac]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

This is where having a barking dog may be an asset, especially at night. Some guys leave lanterns burning all night around the camp.

[MikeB]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end


Here is a photo of the 300 lb one that I ran into last year. Just wanted to give you the warm fuzzies.
I designed a nighttime motion sensor perimeter alarm that worked last year in camp. It should be available later this summer. Until then, sleep well!

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

OMG - I'm glad I didn't see that in the woods!

Well, for a recap of the trip: hmmmm, I certainly learned a lot, not just about camping skills, but about myself. I guess most importantly: if you're doing something that is a challenge and it's supposed to be fun, well then take your time with that challenge and only do what you can handle.

I stayed at a state forest; the sites were very dispersed - I think the closest occupied site was 1/4 - 1/2 mile away. My site was on a dirt forest road, with about a 150ft path leading from the road to the site clearing.

It isn't the wildlife, it's the other people ...
When I checked in at the Contact Station, they ran though a number of precautions & procedures they use for solo campers (not sure if just for solo females or solo men too). Obviously, I can't divulge them. But it was several, and they reminded me of them again before I left the station. It was all good advice but it raised a red flag for me; there must be a reason why they do all the things they do.

That day, I didn't see anyone else; not even a ranger. Long after dark though, I heard some ATVs racing on the dirt road. About an hour later (midnight?), I heard an incredibly rigged up truck vroom-vroom-vrooming down the dirt road, and pausing at the entrance to my site. I realized that I didn't stand a chance if anyone wanted to approach me. Especially if it was more than one person. And, because of the "bear factor", my car wasn't near, so I didn't have a quick escape. After a few minutes, they headed down the road, and I didn't hear or see anything else (well, eventually I fell back asleep.)

Bears
I didn't see any. Or hear anything. Yaay! I had read that bear canisters were "better" than hanging your stuff from a tree and I had bought one. The folks at the contact station nixed that idea with something like "How will you feel with a bear in your campsite all afternoon batting around that canister?" Hmmm, good point!

So, for the first time, I was going to hang my stuff from a tree. Now I've seen plenty of those cute little illustrations of trees with one branch (bare) jutting out at just the right spot. Where are those trees??? At my site, I had 2 kinds of trees: very very tall pine trees with no branches for at least 40 feet; or, heavily foliaged deciduous trees that my rope just kept getting tangled in. My attempts would make a great funny video.

Eventually, as the sun started to go down, I gave up, and decided I just had to take the chance of putting the food in my car. Did I mention I have a new car? But it all worked out well; no bear attempted to get into my [new] car. But I don't plan to take that chance again.

The other element is that the folks at the contact station told me to keep making noise while in my campsite, and suggested throwing rocks into the woods to alert animals that I was there. Now I usually go camping for the peace, quietness, and just R&R. So how much noise was I supposed to make? and for how long? For instance, if I threw some rocks and banged some pots every hour, is that sufficient??? Or do I need to do that every 15 minutes??? These are questions you just don't think to ask in advance lol!

Bad Weather
I'm on a streak of having the weather forecast turn for the worse once I'm at my campsite. That happened again with this trip. By the first evening, the forecast was calling for severe thunderstorms Saturday afternoon through Sunday. My campsite was a clearing at the top of the mountain ridge; so I know that's not a good place to be in thunderstorms. So I was going to have to tear down and find another site.

The Good Part
All of this was balanced though with a beautifully clear night for magnificent star-gazing and a chilly early morning, perfect for lingering with a hot cup of coffee. Bliss! I sat and read, until I remembered I was supposed to be making noise ...

Then, I made the decision - hanging out in a tent through a full day of storms & driving home through the mountains in bad weather wasn't very appealing; not being sufficiently prepared to deal with bear potential; and most important - feeling pretty vulnerable and exposed to bad things in the night -- all added up to going home.

So maybe I'll try it again, when I have a bit more experience. But the whole issue of personal safety vs other people is something that I have to spend more time considering.

[MikeB]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

You need to get familiar with a pistol, especially if you are going it alone. Predators come in all shapes and sizes, including the two legged kind. Make shooting a part of your outdoor activity. If someone or something hears you popping a few caps while you are camping, they are going to pass you by.

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

Mike, thank you! Yes ... Last year, I participated in a program called "Becoming An Outdoors Woman", organized by the DNR. They had several tracks (such as naturalist, or cooking, etc.) This year, I hope to attend again, and I'll take the firearms courses.

[surmisez]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

The other element is that the folks at the contact station told me to keep making noise while in my campsite, and suggested throwing rocks into the woods to alert animals that I was there. Now I usually go camping for the peace, quietness, and just R&R. So how much noise was I supposed to make? and for how long? For instance, if I threw some rocks and banged some pots every hour, is that sufficient??? Or do I need to do that every 15 minutes??? These are questions you just don't think to ask in advance lol!

[snipped]

The Good Part
All of this was balanced though with a beautifully clear night for magnificent star-gazing and a chilly early morning, perfect for lingering with a hot cup of coffee. Bliss! I sat and read, until I remembered I was supposed to be making noise ...

I am laughin my butt off with the mental picture this conjures up! I could just see you trying to explain to someone why you're banging your pots. Sounds like an episode of "I Love Lucy"!

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

I am laughin my butt off with the mental picture this conjures up! I could just see you trying to explain to someone why you're banging your pots. Sounds like an episode of "I Love Lucy"!

I'm glad the humor came through. Even though I was a bit apprehensive, I did find it all to be quite funny. Later on, I read about how sound travels more easily in the night. I wonder if there were other campers who heard it, wondering: what the Heck is going on??

[surmisez]

Re: Heading to Bear Country This Week-end

I'm glad the humor came through. Even though I was a bit apprehensive, I did find it all to be quite funny. Later on, I read about how sound travels more easily in the night. I wonder if there were other campers who heard it, wondering: what the Heck is going on??

If other campers heard it, they probably thought you were performing some type of tribal ritual. LOL!!!