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A fear of bears led to him learning the burning truth
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:25 am
by ERIC
A fear of bears led to him learning the burning truth
Tom Stienstra
SFGate.com
Sunday, January 29, 2006
The guy was scared to death of bears, the story goes.
But he was going to Bear Valley, and anyplace with a name like that would require some bear repellent, he figured.
I named him "Bear Repellent Bill" after hearing the story provided this past week by Eric Jung, a fieldscout from the area.
Bear Valley is located in the Sierra Nevada forest east of Arnold in Northern California, a forested area with a gorgeous small lake (Alpine Lake) and a ski and snowboard resort. You get there on Highway 4, and because there is no direct route from the Bay Area, it often gets overlooked.
My brother, Rambob, had a cabin near Bear Valley, and over the years, hanging out with him, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail out of Ebbetts Pass and exploring the region's lakes, streams and canyons, I think I've seen one bear there, that's it. Except for securing a bear-proof food hang at backpack camps, the thought of bears hardly crossed our minds.
Not with Bear Repellent Bill. He was tortured with the nightmare of a pack of bears surrounding him, slapping him around for fun, and then jumping on him, slobbering in his face. So he bought a canister of bear pepper spray, which is similar to mace. That is, if attacked, you spray it on the attacker's face.
The outfitters from Alaska I know told me the hardest thing about administering pepper spray is that it hurts like heck when the bear stuffs the can down your throat.
Well, as the story goes, this guy in hysterics came running into the Bear Valley fire house.
"He was in great pain and wanted first-aid," Jung said. "He thought pepper spray was like mosquito repellent and had sprayed it all over himself."
That's right, the guy sprayed himself with pepper spray.
In honor of this excruciating encounter, I hereby award Bear Repellent Bill the Bite-The-Alligator Award that I occasionally bestow.
This award is in honor of a small poodle dog in Florida that yapped at the alligator that climbed out of the canal, nipped it in the tail, whereupon the alligator whipped around and promptly ate it.
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 12:49 pm
by gary c.
Don't be so hard on the guy. I mean after a good dousing with that stuff what self respecting bear would want to chew on him.
Gary C.
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:47 pm
by hikerduane
Well like most guys, he failed to read the directions for use.
To the bears, pepper, it makes food taste better. Yum!
Re: A fear of bears led to him learning the burning truth
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:12 am
by SteveB
admin wrote:That's right, the guy sprayed himself with pepper spray.
Bwahahahahahaha!!!
Oh, man, that's priceless!!
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:50 am
by Ratboy
idiot.
These are the same folks that show airline stewards their ticket stub because they cannot remember their seat; or hmm and haw at the coffee or food register after standing in line for enough time to read the menu; or drive while shaving....
I begin, after reading this, to wonder if was Darwin was right, then what is taking so freaking long....or are we really the result of "intelligent" design.
In the name of Adam Carolla, ...some folks should "never have kids, ever."
That is all, enjoy the veal.
Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:57 pm
by Snow Nymph
This reminds me of a guy we saw on the trail once. We hiked up the Mountaineer's Route, and came down the Main Trail. We were just above Mirror Lake and it was getting dark. We saw a big guy hiking solo, with a big pack (bucket, jacket and stuff hanging off the pack). In his hand was a large can of
spray, with fingers in position to use it.
He looked terrified! We said hi as we passed, and as soon as we got out of distance, busted out laughing.
I don't think this guy should have been on the trail. :retard:
Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:19 pm
by ironmike
Not trying to defend the dude, but maybe he was from Alaska or Montana and didn't know the difference between Grizzlies (CA's state animal BTW) and blacks (which is all CA has left). Hiking solo in bear country up there is a very nervous proposition for anyone.
Nonetheless, very entertaining reading!!
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 10:34 pm
by Ratboy
...right. Anyone ever heard of a bush pilot or sourdough (you only know these folks if you have been there) actually using bear repellant, let alone spraying it on themself? !! :retard:
Anyone from where the real wild things are, would no better and wiser than some city dwelling, Perrier drinking, expresso frappe sipping freak.
Like that post from the Portal website states, the difference between black bear dung and grizzly bear dung is grizzly has bear bells in it.
Maybe he was from Alaska or Montana, seriously...you gotta be kidding. The term is backwoods, not backwards.