Hot the heels of (.... well, in the not-to-distant memory of) the bear chase, I had some anxiety about early morning hikes, alone on Boulder hiking trails that are bursting with ripe berries and such.
I did it still. But Im not going to lie, every rustle I heard in the woods made me nervous.
Mark decided that there was something to be done about that. We made a little trip to REI for research and purchase reasons and I learned a lot about options one might have to ward off bears!
1. Bear spray. The canisters range in size but start at over 9.0oz and require a holster to carry it. Can you imagine me doing a "quick draw" to spray a bear in the face at close range with something akin to a small fire extinguisher?! Me neither.
3. Bear Horn
Toot. Toot! The instructions say that you are supposed to sound the horn about every 1/4 mile on the trail to alert creatures that you are coming. OMG, I can only imagine what the City of Boulder (and all the other hikers) would say about that. Not going to happen, obviously.
I am content to stuff this can of noise into my little backpack and retrieve it should I have an encounter.
And that's it, or so I thought.
Then the other day Mark came home with this little gift for me too:
Pepper Spray. Quick release from the key ring, then just press the trigger and behold... no more unwanted attention from bear or anyone else!
I did it still. But Im not going to lie, every rustle I heard in the woods made me nervous.
Mark decided that there was something to be done about that. We made a little trip to REI for research and purchase reasons and I learned a lot about options one might have to ward off bears!
1. Bear spray. The canisters range in size but start at over 9.0oz and require a holster to carry it. Can you imagine me doing a "quick draw" to spray a bear in the face at close range with something akin to a small fire extinguisher?! Me neither.
2. Bear Bells... for the hiker who wants to sound like a Christmas elf prancing down the trail. I'd drive myself nuts and throw myself at the mercy of the nearest bear. Just sayin'.
Toot. Toot! The instructions say that you are supposed to sound the horn about every 1/4 mile on the trail to alert creatures that you are coming. OMG, I can only imagine what the City of Boulder (and all the other hikers) would say about that. Not going to happen, obviously.
I am content to stuff this can of noise into my little backpack and retrieve it should I have an encounter.
Then the other day Mark came home with this little gift for me too:
Pepper Spray. Quick release from the key ring, then just press the trigger and behold... no more unwanted attention from bear or anyone else!
It even matches my outfit!
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