Press
Release
Bear book full of great
advice for hikers, campers
Hiking
book based on author’s
encounters with bears
In bear country
it’s important
to know the proper protocol when meeting a grizzly bear.
In his new book “Hiking with Grizzlies: Lessons Learned,” hiker
and bear advocate Tim Rubbert gives the low-down on how
to behave when you’re walking through bear habitat.
“Ignorance
is not bliss when it comes to hiking in bear country,” says
Rubbert, who has been hiking among grizzly bears in Montana
and Alaska for more than 20 years. “The more you
know, the better you will react when you meet a bear.”
Rubbert’s
trail-tested techniques are based on extensive personal
experience. In the last eight years alone, Rubbert has
hiked more than 10,000 miles and experienced more than
800 sightings of grizzly bears. Nearly every close encounter
ended with the bear running away, which Rubbert says is
the most common outcome if the hiker knows what to do.
Rubbert
describes how grizzlies typically react to a hiker in
various situations. What makes some bears charge while
others run away? What’s
the best way to avoid confrontations altogether? When is
it time to pull out the bear spray? Important lessons cover
making noise, remaining calm, staying together, retreating,
and encountering surprised bears, habituated bears, bears
with cubs, and bears on carcasses.
In
a very educational feature not found in other bear books,
Rubbert uses photographs of bears during actual encounters
to show how the bears reacted. He also analyzes each encounter
to determine what happened and why.
Rubbert
is a strong advocate of carrying bear spray, and readers
will gain life-saving knowledge about how to use bear spray
in real-world situations. Rubbert describes two backcountry
incidents when he was forced to spray bears, once when
Rubbert was charged by a female grizzly with a cub and
another time when he drove off a grizzly that was mauling
a hiking partner. Both incidents took place in Montana’s
Glacier National Park.
What’s
the most important advice for hikers who encounter grizzlies? “Remain
calm and still,” says Rubbert. “Of course,
every encounter is an adrenaline rush, but knowing what
to do and being prepared for an encounter makes it easier
to remain calm.”
Rubbert’s
clearly explained hiking strategies and his numerous first-hand
descriptions of bear encounters will help anyone travel
in bear country with far greater safety and confidence.
“Hiking
with Grizzlies: Lessons Learned” sells for $10.95
and is available at bookstores or by calling Riverbend
Publishing toll-free 1-866-787-2363.
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