There have been a few news stories of late that paint a picture of the riskier side of outdoor adventure. As with any adventure, risk has to be considered before embarking on your trek. There were two very different stories in the past couple of weeks that caught my attention and had my mind spinning and my heart hurting.
Encounters with wildlife are to be expected when entering into the wild. Whether wild animal or civilized, we all share this space we call Earth. The Great Smokey Mountains National Park has had to close some trails lately due to bear activity in the area. GSMNP Trails Close After Recent Bear Attack. While rare in the grand scope of things, it can still be scary to read news like this.
Knowing your surroundings and educating yourself on expectations and how to deal with certain situations will help tremendously. To be clear, the bear attack that happened most recently is not an example of human error or negligence. Gabriel Alexander and his father were experienced outdoor enthusiasts and victims of a random act of violence from a wild animal. you can read the story here.
Unfortunately, most of the bear activity that happens in the park is caused by human negligence. Bears have become conditioned to hang around backcountry campsites and shelters because we leave our trash and food remnants behind too often. Just like us, they look for the low hanging fruit (so to speak).
Greg Alexander did the correct thing when confronted with a bear attacking his teenage son and it probably is a big reason his son survived and is expected to make a full recovery. Here are some helpful tips to avoid unpleasant encounters with bears in the wild.
Helpful Tips to Avoid Bears
The other story that dominated the news was of a missing woman being found in the park. Jenny Bennett was an outdoor enthusiast and fellow blogger that was known to hike the backcountry and go off trail many times. You can read her story here.
This particular story saddens me because of the chance it could have been avoided. Let me preface this by saying we do not know how she died. There is no way to know right now if it was avoidable, but I am only pointing out some precautionary steps that seem to have been missed.
First, Jenny did not let anyone know where she was going. While she was an avid hiker in the area, she was hiking alone. She had been missing a couple of days before anyone knew according to the news story. This certainly impacted the search and rescue efforts in regards to precious time.
I know that some frown upon hiking alone, but I can see and respect both sides of this argument. Solo hiking or adventuring can be extraordinary and a great experience to get close with nature. On the other hand, the danger of being on a solo adventure does exist and should be acknowledged.
Jenny liked to hike off trail. This is a touchy subject for sure. While sticking to the trail lessens the environmental impact we put on the wild, there can be great adventure waiting "off-trail". Again, the fact that she was alone is probably the real issue here. Staying on the trail certainly raises the chances of interaction that may help save a life. I do not recommend hiking off trail alone.
My biggest fear is that stories like these deter people from enjoying our national parks or just the outdoors in general. These are isolated incidents and rare in the grand scheme of life. Being prepared and knowing how to practice proper trail/camp etiquette will serve you well and help you enjoy your time in the wild. Get outside - the more you practice the more you will be prepared.
