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Backpacker Magazine – September 2008
Never Fear: The Phobias
Use this step-by-step guide to beat 7 common backcountry fears. Plus, ideal hikes for overcoming–or avoiding–the source of your scare.
Photo illustration by Stephen Beneski
HEIGHTS | SPIDERS, SNAKES, SCORPIONS | GETTING LOST | TIGHT SPACES | ALONE IN THE DARK | BEARS | LIGHTNING
BEARS
It took just one night in the Bob Marshall Wilderness to convince Robert Struckman never to take his young son backpacking in grizzly country again. Haunted by nightmares of an attack leaving his son "alone with this mangled thing that was his father and an angry bear nearby," Struckman has stuck to grizzly-free sites with his kids ever since.
The Real Risk
Your odds of being attacked by a bear in Yellowstone are 1 in 3 million (and there have been only five bear-related fatalities there since 1872). And you have a better chance of being crushed by a vending machine anywhere than killed by a bear in Glacier.
- Knowing how to minimize the risk of an encounter where bears roam will make you feel in control. Hang your food and scented items, or use a bear canister; make noise when hiking near dense brush or rivers; avoid carcasses that a griz might defend.
- Find out what to do in the unlikely event a bear does attack (play dead for a grizzly, fight back for a black bear). "That allays fears," says Outward Bound's Jayne Nucete. "Even if we do encounter a bear, we have a strategy."
- Talk to rangers or fellow hikers who've run into bears without a catastrophe. It will reinforce the fact that simply seeing a bruin doesn't mean imminent disaster.
The Big Test
Black bears and grizzlies are frequently spied lumbering on the open hillsides near Yellowstone's Lamar River Trail. nps.gov/yell
Head for the cacti and canyons of South Dakota's Badlands. The state hasn't recorded a single bear sighting–let alone attack–in 20 years. nps.gov/badl
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READERS COMMENTS
Thank you for this. I had a mini "panic attack" on Shasta this summer. My guide was intimidating when I needed more words of encouragement. Now I'll let my partner know he has to help me with the words the guides hesitate to provide: "You can do this. You've done it before. It will be alright."
My main fear on this list is being alone in the dark. When in a protected shelter, this typically isn't such an issue. but once I'm out in an unfamiliar place doing an activity, anxiety will start to kick in as the sun goes down. Thankfully I've used similar techniques to mostly overcome this irrational fear. Being an avid bike rider also, I set out on a 10mile, one way, trail through the woods about half an hour before dusk. Timing it perfectly, I made it to the end of the trail right as the sun set. Due to being a one way trail though, I was forced to ride the 10 miles back in the dark in order to get home. while this might have been a little extreme for a first step, it was successful, and now I find nighttime riding almost more enjoyable that in the sunlight.
I'm still with Indiana Jones, "SNAKES! It just had to be snakes!"
UGGH!
I'm still with Indiana Jones, "SNAKES! It just had to be snakes!"
UGGH!
Raaammooonnnee!!! Bring me a snake with some girth!
I love big long snakes with big heads
The article is correct to say that snakes are more afraid of humans than humans are of snakes. The safest response to snakes is to make vibrations on the earth (such as heavy walking) and to proactively never put your hands, feet, etc. into closeted areas such as crevices, logs, etc. Snakes will feel your foot vibrations on the earth and move out of your way. Strike a rock or log that you plan to sit on and the snake will move away, although be careful of scorpions and spiders. A snake will only strike you if it is cornered, or if you have ignored its warning. In the south in swamp land while in a boat, look overhead at tree branches, or better yet, avoid boating under the tree branches to prevent the possibility of a snake falling into your boat. Good Hiking... Jerry D
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