A hiker in Glacier National Park in Montana noticed new signs of a bear nearby and deliberately kept an eye out for it along the trail.
“I listen to the birds and smaller animals whose behavior warns me of a larger threat,” Amanda Wylie wrote on TikTok.
“I see a prairie dog jump from the right side of the trail to the left. I think to myself: How many bears have seen me while I haven’t seen them? I look to my right and see a grizzly bear (twice my size) standing on its hind legs, paws up. Terrified, I told myself not to run and said out loud, ‘Oh my God, it’s happening.’
“The safety video I had watched before applying for my backcountry permit immediately flashed through my mind. I pulled out my bear spray, ducked down, and slowly backed away from the bear. I spoke nicely to it, and when I felt I was a safe distance away, I pulled out my phone to record it, wondering if these would be my last moments.”
@twobraidsontrail On the 4th of July I had my first encounter with a grizzly… I noticed bear tracks in the mud, fresh scat, and dug up roots. I kept my eyes peeled but saw no threat and continued hiking, listening for birds and smaller animals to warn me of a larger threat by their behavior. Just then I see a prairie dog jump from my right side to the left side of the trail and I think to myself, how many bears have seen me while I haven’t seen them? I look to my right and see a grizzly twice my size standing on its hind legs with its paws raised. Filled with fear, I told myself not to run and said out loud, “Oh my god, it’s happening.” Immediately the safety video I watched before getting my backcountry permit flashed through my mind. I pulled out my bear spray, crouched down, and slowly backed away from the bear. I chatted nicely with him and when I felt I was at a safe distance, I pulled out my phone to record it, wondering if these would be my last moments. Any sudden or unexpected behavior on my part could have put this curious grizzly on the defensive. He followed me down the trail, off the trail, and finally shook his body, showing me I could relax a little. When he turned away, I was happy, knowing I would live to see another day and have an amazing encounter story to tell. At the end of the day, I was still going to choose the bear. #Manvsbear #GlacierNationalPark #Montana #BearCountry #GrizzlyBear ♬ Original Sound – TwoBraidsOnTrail
Trembling and with fear in his voice, Wylie spoke to the grizzly bear: “You’re fine, you’re fine” and “Please go, please go.”
“Any sudden or unexpected behavior on my part could have put this curious grizzly on the defensive,” Wylie wrote. “He followed me down the trail, off the trail, and finally shook his body, which showed me that I could relax a little.”
“As he turned away, I rejoiced, knowing that I would live to see the next day and tell the story of an amazing encounter.”
