On last week’s backcountry trip to Sawyer Pond, we received a lot of warnings about how it has been a very active summer season for the local bear population. Some were even going as far as to call it a “Bear Summer.” That got me thinking…
Seeking Bear Repellent
Before heading into the backcountry, I thought it might be a good idea to grab some sort of defense system, so I stopped at Lahout’s Summit Shop in Lincoln, NH. There the storekeep advised me to get a $50 flamethrower for protection, but that seemed like overkill considering I’ve never seen a black bear while hiking. My only run-ins with bears came when I accidentally surprised them because I was moving too fast: once while on an ATV in the Lakes Region, and once when I went running on a trail out by Moosehead Lake in Maine. That second one scared the scat out of me.
But since we weren’t going to be running or ATVing, I wasn’t too concerned we’d run into a bear. I also knew my hiking companion had one of the big flamethrowers (which is essentially just long-range pepper spray), so I opted instead for a little pepper spray canister that was about half the price. I figured I could stand behind my buddy and if his flamethrower fails, I could unleash my short-range pepper spray as a last-ditch effort for survival. No reason to waste another $20 or $30 if death was coming.
Bear scat on the trail: good thing we brought the pepper spray!
Our Reasons
There were a couple of reasons for our precautionary measures:
First, we had a bunch of food, and we were sleeping out overnight. The delicious smells of our treats might capture the attention of some grumbly bellies.
Second, we were mountain biking for the first four miles or so. Bikes, while not as fast as an ATV, are certainly faster than running, which meant surprising an unsuspecting bear was more possible. Experience has told me, right or wrong, that the only way to run into a black bear in New England is if they don’t smell you coming, so riding a couple of mountain bikes towards our destination raised a little concern.
The Bear Bag System
The biggest challenge, I guess you could say, to keeping bears away, is finding safe storage for your food overnight. Sawyer Pond didn’t have a bear box, but it did have a long line suspended between two trees, twelve feet above our heads. Another camper’s bag was already hanging from it when we arrived.
The line was set up for the six campsites at Sawyer Pond to share, and after getting our tents set up and eating a little snack, I threw a line up over the suspended line and used a slipknot to pull our “bear bag” up. (It wasn’t really a slipknot but a loop knot, because the loop didn’t fold in on itself when you pulled it tight, but we’ll call it a slipknot nonetheless.) After securing the other end of the line to a tree with a clove hitch and some half-hitches for extra security, we let it rest there until it was time for dinner.
Sign at the trailhead for Sawyer Pond
Mistakes Will Be Made
All went well with my slipknot system at first. I was able to retrieve the bag for dinner, no problem, and for another snack later. But the next morning around 5:30 a.m., when I went to retrieve it, it was stuck. A little knot had formed on the line, which was blocking it from sliding back through the loop on the slipknot. When we first got into camp, we noted a long boat hook hanging from the suspended line and we wondered exactly how we were supposed to use it. Now I got to find out.
It took about thirty minutes, but eventually I was able to jam the hook through the slipknot and find a way to pull the line back through. It caught once more on the knot, about nine feet above head, but after a few more yanks it finally broke loose. The moment the bag hit my hands, I realized I could have made my life so much easier if I had used one simple tool to secure the bag: carabiners. Why didn’t I think of that before? I even had a few carabiners on me, too. You goofball.
The blue boat hook on the left was a lifesaver.
Next Time
But that’s why you go. To learn and experience something new. To come up with better ideas for next time and get excited about applying your learnings.
We learned more than a few things on this first expedition back out into the wilderness:
1. Not just to bring carabiners, but to actually use them.
2. Bring some extra line, just in case the campsite doesn’t provide one for a bear bag system. We were lucky that they did.
3. Bring some personal journal or book to pass the time, in case you arrive at camp way ahead of schedule like we did.
4. AllTrails, once again, is not to be trusted on route planning. Use a real map or a more valid trip report.
5. We also got to see what our bodies were ready for, and if they can take on more. I was pleasantly surprised that carrying a thirty-pound pack on my back while riding a mountain bike wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Huzzah for next time.
Because there will be a next time.
Can you see it? The picture is terrible, but we were pretty sure this was a bear print.