Trails and Hunters and Bears Oh My

It’s been a great summer of riding, and now it’s onto fall. This is one of my favorite times for mountain biking. The weather turns brisk, and the leaves are starting to turn, and fall on the trail. I love the smells and sounds of the forest in fall, the breeze through the trees, and the look of the leaves as they fall to the ground during the ride. However, now is the time when you will see hunters on the trail…and a lot of scared wildlife!

Above Georgia Pass looking east.

Yesterday I was out for a long ride from Kenosha Pass to the Georgia Pass. This is a great 24 mile ride with about 3000ft of total climbing. The ride starts out with a climb from 10,000ft. You begin off HWY 285 outside Jefferson Colorado and climb west toward Georgia Pass. It’s a great ride, and I highly recommend it. During the ride, however, I was surprised to see so many hunters along the trail. OK, not really surprised, as much as concerned. There is nothing scarier than being five feet away from someone holding a firearm, and not realizing they are there until you hear them breath.

That was early in my ride, and the hunter was more than kind, obviously hearing me coming, and not in the mood to carry a mountain biker off the trail. This is something to always keep in mind while riding. I have never been a hunter, but I know a lot of them, and they are really great people. They enjoy the outdoors just as we do, and this is a way of life for them, just as cycling and hiking are to many of us. However, you should always be cautious on the trail, even more so this time of year.

Looking at the mountains west of Georgia Pass.

One of the primary lessons hunters learn is to look beyond their target to ensure there is nothing on the other side that they wouldn’t want to hit. I have heard from a few cyclists that they don’t really worry about being shot by a hunter, because “hunters know what they’re shooting at.” This is true, and I doubt if a hiker or biker is ever shot by a hunter that it is on purpose. However, what happens is new, and inexperienced hunters don’t realize what is beyond their target, or they can’t see what is beyond their target. That’s why it is a good idea to wear bright colors this time of year. I’m not talking the normal colorful jersey either. Many of these jerseys just blend into the normal colorful mountain background, especially if there are a lot of flowers. Do yourself a favor and wear bright orange, and do your best not to look like food.

That last part was especially important for me yesterday. As I started down from 12,000ft, and made it back into the trees, I found I had a companion in front of me: a 200lb bear. It was about 100ft in front of me running at a lope, and I was closing fast. I realized instantly that I was following a bear. And then I thought “I’M FOLLOWING A BEAR!” This is NEVER a good plan. I stopped dead in my tracks, and let it run out of site. You should never follow a running bear. They have a tendency to attack when they are scared. After I stopped, I waited a minute or two, and started whistling to myself. I want this animal to know I was not a morning snack. Most bears try to avoid people, and I wanted to make sure he knew I was people. Once I started going again, I was very cautious for the new mile before I let it loose again.

Still, even with all the hunters and wildlife out, it was a great day on the bike. When out this time of year, keep in mind that there might be things out there more dangerous than the trail ahead of you. At any point you can run across wildlife, or someone out hunting it. Take precautions on your rides to ensure you’re going to get back safely. That is the ultimate goal. How else will you be able to tell us about what you saw?