Breaking down this bear charge like the professional you are. You clearly have nerves of steel based on the fact that you were able to wait until that bear got SIX FEET from you before spraying. I'm glad you are safe and that the bear is not permanently injured and hopefully has a negative association with humans. We are hiking into their homes and need to respect that and be prepared, just like you have. My neighbors will think I'm crazy, but they will be seeing me practicing drawing my bear spray in the backyard. 5 seconds is basically ZERO time if you haven't practiced.
So a few days go you were wondering about no being a ‘real thru hiker’. Looks like you did VERY well when it actually counted. And many thru hikers can learn from your encounter and how you handled yourself. So you very much belong on those trails!! Well done
On a multi day hike it's a good idea to keep a 2nd canister of bear spray in your pack in case you encounter more than one bear on your journey. Personally I would want a full canister on my belt at all times.
Was just up on Assiniboine a few days ago staying at Magog. Would have been after the smoke cleared, the views were great but we did get the rain, sleet, snows and 2 degree overnights. The sunrise alpenglow on the mountains was breathtaking! Too bad I took a wipeout on the way down the Wonder Pass and sprained my ankle. Had to trudge the remaining 20km on it to get out. Happy Trails and stay safe!
I've been taught that you should spray well before the bear is within a few feet of you. That way the bear can run through the cloud and hopefully turn back before it even gets to 6ft. At 6ft, that's half a step and one paw swipe. I have zero real world experience, though, so I'd definitely be interested to hear your thoughts on that.
Bear spray only works out to about 10 feet and dissipates quickly. Further distance than that the only thing that might bother the bear is what the air carries to their sensitive noses but it won't be much comparative to getting a full blast in the face. At greater distances they might actually be more frightened of the noise created by discharging the can than what little spray gets to them.
@@brycewalburn3926 They can claim what they want. Thats marketing. Obviously someone will buy the spray that claims to have the furthest range right? All im saying is in practice the spray starts to heavily dissipate after about 3 meters and they also want you to aim it down to avoid it being blown back in the users face so you cant/shouldnt arch it up for greater range. By all means dont take my word for it. If you carry it you should test fire it a couple times to get a feel for how it works.
In practice, the spray cones out more like a stream from a water gun and doesn't cloud very much. What does cloud dissipates quickly. Best bet is to shoot it in the face. Most spray have an effective range of 10-12ft. I may have started shooting at a distance greater than 6ft, but it didn't turn around until it was 6ft-ish away. Hope that helps!
It's good to see that you haven't let the Grizzly encounter get to you and that you have gone through what happened, what went wrong and what went right etc. It's a shame the smoke didn't lift during the hike as you could see how epic the views would have been. Fingers crossed the rain helps prevent the fires spreading further and also dissipates the smoke... a part of me hopes it does snow though, but also don't want you to be working harder at the same time. Easy for me to say, but don't stress Justin, this is what you've trained for physically and mentally and you'll get through the next few days. Stay safe Mate.
I thought you were the Canadian Dan Becker? I must be watching the wrong channel?? Lol!! JK Justin, I love what your doing and hope you had the most epic trip!!
Love watching your videos and following your journey on the GDT. I’ll be doing Mt. Assiniboine from Mt. Shark parking to Redearth creek TH in a few weeks. Can’t wait. Praying things are going well for you.
I watched the one docudrama on Edmund Hillary last week. When he and his climbing partner George were attempting Mt. Cho Oyo and his partner's feet were frozen he told him, "the mountain didn't beat you, you weren't prepared". You are prepared, trust that and you will be fine!
Beautiful scenery and I'm glad you have enjoyed it (except for the bear). I love hiking and the outdoors but I don't think I could do a hike where I had to go a certain distance per day and stay in a designated place each night. I prefer complete spontaneity, but that's not for everyone. I hope you stay well and enjoy the rest of your trip.
Living in SE Alaska, we have very similar concerns. I carry bear spray and a gun. Both easy to draw. The best spray is considered a much more effective deterrent. Firearm is for if that fails or my friend is the one using bear spray. Also, as annoying as they are, bear bells are nice to have if you can't stand your own voice :p ETA: I have yet to see any real consensus on how to handle bear encounter. Basically just do smell like food, and don't surprise the bears
At least the rain will clear some of the smoke and hopefully clear views up for tomorrow. Silver linings. Edit: Also, mad respect for the Lonely Island singing.
I had no idea Dan Becker played ball. 😉 I’m curious your thoughts on black bear after this encounter? Iv always been pretty adamant about bear spray anytime bears are around. Lately I’ve had some comments that I’m being too cautious. I’ve never had an experience like yours, and honestly have only ever seen bear in Grizzly country. But have seen plenty of bear sign in black bear country. But sure would like to drop the spray from my pack. Wonder what your thoughts are?
I would imagine people making fun of me for carrying spray here where live in Finland because bears are extremely rare but if you are in any kind of bear country it's essential to carry one imho. Unless you carry a gun. Just imagine a bear charging and you having to pull out some Opinel butter knife type of deal.. might as well use it before the bear gets to you. I hear they don't kill their prey before eating. Gnarly way to go.
In my opinion people put way too much weight on the differences between grizzly bears and black bears. Especially since few people can actually tell them apart in open space with a perfect side view (to see the hump or not) never mind in brush or at an odd angle. Parks canada and Alberta parks recommends you treat black bears and grizzly bears exactly the same and backs it up with evidence rather than personal anecdotes or catchy rhymes (if its brown lay down, if its black fight back) that aren’t evidence based. They also have great sources for the information and advice they give so I’d highly recommend looking through their sites if you’re concerned or want more information.
It really depends on the circumstances. If with other people, I'd be much less likely to carry spray in black bear country. If I recall correctly, there are more instances of predatory black bear encounters than grizzly. That being said, I carry bear spray when working in black-bear only areas all the time, even when with other people. In some areas, there is more food pressure on black bears, which may make them desperate.
Great series of posts Justin. Could using a whistle rather than calling out make it easier to let the bear know you are there? Just a thought. Smallest and lightest noise maker i could think of.
It depends on what size cannister he's carrying. A small canister is typically only good for one ~10 second spray. Larger cans can be good for two shorter duration sprays or one really long spray. In short, Justin should definitely replace his cannister as soon as he can!
Its an internet myth that its illegal in NY and is actually readily available off the shelf at stores like REI, even in their NYC store. The odd requirement by NY is any sprays with over 0.7% capsaicin have to also be approved as a pesticide by the Department of Environmental Conservation in order to be "legal". Some brands are like Counter Assault, and Guard Alaska, so they can be purchased and sold no problem.
@@natea1042 yeah you can get those, but the better ones are hard to get. But not illegal. It’s way easier for me to drive the hour to Vermont and just buy one there. Also, don’t just keep it in the car or anything. A buddy of mine was charged for failing to disclose it as a weapon when his car was stopped and searched for drugs (no drugs anywhere). The charge was dropped in court but he was told that he could only carry the better sprays when actively going to do something “in the woods”.
@@JustinOutdoors thanks for the follow up! Would also love to know how you are editing these videos on your trip, or if someone is doing it for you back home. Just LumaFusion on your iPhone?
If I had been charged by a bear I would be at home now! You are inspirational … still n all I would have a flare gun at hand. My friend, a geologist, was handed a gun before they left her in a remote area to map in the Rockies for 2 weeks.
I was kind of surprised to see your bear bag hanging location so low in this. The bags are bear resistant but they can still be ripped from the branch and carried off. They really should be hung high enough and far enough from the trunk so that a bear cant reach it even if they climb. With such low traffic on trail and days between resupplies it would be some miserable hiking if you woke and found the bag gone.
Often when you are getting up in the alpine near the tree line you just don’t have the option to put it out of a bear’s reach. The trees are just too wimpy, especially coniferous trees. That’s the benefit of an ursack vs a traditional benefit in my opinion. I do know a few people who had their ursack dragged off and its always been within 150 m from where they tied it. Even then ⅔ were in the high alpine and not really tied down at all, just tied off.
It's almost impossible to get a hang on the coniferous trees I was in most of the trail. Bears have been recorded chewing through 6inch thick trees to get at food, but that is when they are tempted by it. For this reason, I try to tie to a 6 inch thick tree or limb. The fortunate scenario for me was that when I was in busy areas where bears could become accustomed to human food, there were bear lockers. When I was in more remote areas, it's likely bears wouldn't associate an ursack with food.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Breaking down this bear charge like the professional you are. You clearly have nerves of steel based on the fact that you were able to wait until that bear got SIX FEET from you before spraying. I'm glad you are safe and that the bear is not permanently injured and hopefully has a negative association with humans. We are hiking into their homes and need to respect that and be prepared, just like you have.
My neighbors will think I'm crazy, but they will be seeing me practicing drawing my bear spray in the backyard. 5 seconds is basically ZERO time if you haven't practiced.
Practice is a good call! I also hope that bear now has a negative association and it and people it encounters can live to a ripe old age.
Facing your fears is very commendable! Glad to see things like bears and heights not holding you back. Every thru hiker had to start somewhere
So a few days go you were wondering about no being a ‘real thru hiker’. Looks like you did VERY well when it actually counted. And many thru hikers can learn from your encounter and how you handled yourself. So you very much belong on those trails!! Well done
These videos are brilliant. Going for a week long coastal walk from tomorrow (in bearless England) and you've really put me in the mood for it.
The day Justin switched to the brown pants. Glad you're safe!
Super glad you're ok and great for all of us to see and hear your story.
On a multi day hike it's a good idea to keep a 2nd canister of bear spray in your pack in case you encounter more than one bear on your journey. Personally I would want a full canister on my belt at all times.
Starting to feel sorry for that grizzly bear, you must have scared the shit out of it 😂
What a great story you'll have! Glad you're still moving ahead. Thanks! Dave J (Enjoyed the Dan Becker reference!)
Was just up on Assiniboine a few days ago staying at Magog. Would have been after the smoke cleared, the views were great but we did get the rain, sleet, snows and 2 degree overnights. The sunrise alpenglow on the mountains was breathtaking! Too bad I took a wipeout on the way down the Wonder Pass and sprained my ankle. Had to trudge the remaining 20km on it to get out. Happy Trails and stay safe!
Really enjoying the series. Absolute tragedy you could not view Assiniboine!!
Im glad all is well. The bear charge made me loose sleep haha. God Bless!
I've been taught that you should spray well before the bear is within a few feet of you. That way the bear can run through the cloud and hopefully turn back before it even gets to 6ft. At 6ft, that's half a step and one paw swipe. I have zero real world experience, though, so I'd definitely be interested to hear your thoughts on that.
That’s what I’ve heard too. Make a big cloud at the ground in front of the bear and it will stir it up. But I’ve never done it.
Bear spray only works out to about 10 feet and dissipates quickly. Further distance than that the only thing that might bother the bear is what the air carries to their sensitive noses but it won't be much comparative to getting a full blast in the face. At greater distances they might actually be more frightened of the noise created by discharging the can than what little spray gets to them.
@@natea1042 A quick Google searched yielded a brand of bear spray that claims to have a range of 35 ft.
@@brycewalburn3926 They can claim what they want. Thats marketing. Obviously someone will buy the spray that claims to have the furthest range right? All im saying is in practice the spray starts to heavily dissipate after about 3 meters and they also want you to aim it down to avoid it being blown back in the users face so you cant/shouldnt arch it up for greater range. By all means dont take my word for it. If you carry it you should test fire it a couple times to get a feel for how it works.
In practice, the spray cones out more like a stream from a water gun and doesn't cloud very much. What does cloud dissipates quickly. Best bet is to shoot it in the face. Most spray have an effective range of 10-12ft. I may have started shooting at a distance greater than 6ft, but it didn't turn around until it was 6ft-ish away. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your advice about bear encounter
10:46 - hahahahah if you were baller like Dan Becker, you would have stayed in one of those huts before your big 10km day.
It's good to see that you haven't let the Grizzly encounter get to you and that you have gone through what happened, what went wrong and what went right etc. It's a shame the smoke didn't lift during the hike as you could see how epic the views would have been. Fingers crossed the rain helps prevent the fires spreading further and also dissipates the smoke... a part of me hopes it does snow though, but also don't want you to be working harder at the same time. Easy for me to say, but don't stress Justin, this is what you've trained for physically and mentally and you'll get through the next few days. Stay safe Mate.
I thought you were the Canadian Dan Becker?
I must be watching the wrong channel?? Lol!! JK Justin, I love what your doing and hope you had the most epic trip!!
Michael Bolton & The Lonely Island!!! Jack Sparrow! Love it Justin! Glad you kept your cool with the Griz
I have to say your musical tastes are eclectic!
Love watching your videos and following your journey on the GDT. I’ll be doing Mt. Assiniboine from Mt. Shark parking to Redearth creek TH in a few weeks. Can’t wait. Praying things are going well for you.
Dan Becker doesn't through hike, but you do! You can do it, we all believe in you :)
You're doing great man! I love your choice of Lonely Island for trail singing songs lol
What a Dan Becker reference and no Backcountry Code??? LOL. Keep hiking!!!! Love the videos.
Damn man. I was about to ask how the pests like ticks have been but never mind
I am glad all worked out for you stay safe, I have gotten a lot of hiking info from you and Dan Becker
I watched the one docudrama on Edmund Hillary last week. When he and his climbing partner George were attempting Mt. Cho Oyo and his partner's feet were frozen he told him, "the mountain didn't beat you, you weren't prepared". You are prepared, trust that and you will be fine!
Great tips on bear encounters
Beautiful scenery and I'm glad you have enjoyed it (except for the bear). I love hiking and the outdoors but I don't think I could do a hike where I had to go a certain distance per day and stay in a designated place each night. I prefer complete spontaneity, but that's not for everyone. I hope you stay well and enjoy the rest of your trip.
appreciate your honesty
Your song choices just keep getting better 😂
Did the Wonder Loop last year and it's a fantastic hike. Shame the haze is so bad the views are outstanding
Living in SE Alaska, we have very similar concerns. I carry bear spray and a gun. Both easy to draw. The best spray is considered a much more effective deterrent. Firearm is for if that fails or my friend is the one using bear spray. Also, as annoying as they are, bear bells are nice to have if you can't stand your own voice :p
ETA: I have yet to see any real consensus on how to handle bear encounter. Basically just do smell like food, and don't surprise the bears
unfortunately carrying a gun is not really an option in the Canadian Rockies
Came for the singing....impressed
At least the rain will clear some of the smoke and hopefully clear views up for tomorrow. Silver linings.
Edit: Also, mad respect for the Lonely Island singing.
One day at the time Justin…
You got this🤙
I had no idea Dan Becker played ball. 😉
I’m curious your thoughts on black bear after this encounter? Iv always been pretty adamant about bear spray anytime bears are around. Lately I’ve had some comments that I’m being too cautious. I’ve never had an experience like yours, and honestly have only ever seen bear in Grizzly country. But have seen plenty of bear sign in black bear country. But sure would like to drop the spray from my pack. Wonder what your thoughts are?
I would imagine people making fun of me for carrying spray here where live in Finland because bears are extremely rare but if you are in any kind of bear country it's essential to carry one imho. Unless you carry a gun.
Just imagine a bear charging and you having to pull out some Opinel butter knife type of deal.. might as well use it before the bear gets to you. I hear they don't kill their prey before eating. Gnarly way to go.
In my opinion people put way too much weight on the differences between grizzly bears and black bears. Especially since few people can actually tell them apart in open space with a perfect side view (to see the hump or not) never mind in brush or at an odd angle. Parks canada and Alberta parks recommends you treat black bears and grizzly bears exactly the same and backs it up with evidence rather than personal anecdotes or catchy rhymes (if its brown lay down, if its black fight back) that aren’t evidence based. They also have great sources for the information and advice they give so I’d highly recommend looking through their sites if you’re concerned or want more information.
It really depends on the circumstances. If with other people, I'd be much less likely to carry spray in black bear country. If I recall correctly, there are more instances of predatory black bear encounters than grizzly. That being said, I carry bear spray when working in black-bear only areas all the time, even when with other people. In some areas, there is more food pressure on black bears, which may make them desperate.
Heavy! Great analysis. What's the expiry date on your bear spray...?
Was 2022. I replaced it in Field though.
You missed one critical step I would have had to do if I were charged by a bear. I would have had to change my underwear. Great job!
Keep going!!
A baller like Dan Becker. 😂🤣
Do you just film with a gopro? you had mentioned leaving a mic behind... how do you record!?!?
This series was with my Samsung S10E phone!
So did he replace his bear spray? Or is he walking around with an empty can?
That occurred to me as well
He didn't use the full can
How much did he use? 50%? 80%? How does he know how much is left?
So many questions
Not sure where you think he's going to get a new can before he arrives at a major campground or town. He had what he had until his next resupply day.
@@natea1042 Thanks for your insight
Great series of posts Justin. Could using a whistle rather than calling out make it easier to let the bear know you are there? Just a thought. Smallest and lightest noise maker i could think of.
Loving all these videos. Can’t thank you enough for sharing. Just one question: when will the soundtrack album with your singing be released?!
Maybe a spotify playlist? haha
Crazy encounter! Glad it worked out ok and great recap. How many uses does a bear canister like that have?
It depends on what size cannister he's carrying. A small canister is typically only good for one ~10 second spray. Larger cans can be good for two shorter duration sprays or one really long spray. In short, Justin should definitely replace his cannister as soon as he can!
My experience with the small cans like I had were that they spray for 6 seconds. I used about 1-2s of it, but still replaced it in Field.
Man that rain makes it tough bro! Do you have enough beer spray left if you need another squirt?
I had used about 20% of it, so luckily enough left to get me to the next resupply to replace it!
@@JustinOutdoors Amazing! I just got off the AZT after 33 miles. Zero water on the trail. Had to abort. Bummed out.
Makes me want to get some bear spray. It’s nearly impossible in New York. Most people drive to another state to pick up a can.
Its an internet myth that its illegal in NY and is actually readily available off the shelf at stores like REI, even in their NYC store. The odd requirement by NY is any sprays with over 0.7% capsaicin have to also be approved as a pesticide by the Department of Environmental Conservation in order to be "legal". Some brands are like Counter Assault, and Guard Alaska, so they can be purchased and sold no problem.
@@natea1042 yeah you can get those, but the better ones are hard to get. But not illegal. It’s way easier for me to drive the hour to Vermont and just buy one there. Also, don’t just keep it in the car or anything. A buddy of mine was charged for failing to disclose it as a weapon when his car was stopped and searched for drugs (no drugs anywhere). The charge was dropped in court but he was told that he could only carry the better sprays when actively going to do something “in the woods”.
Justin : bear 1:0
How long from the spray hitting the bear to it stopping its charge?
A small can like I had has about 6 seconds of spray in it. I sprayed about 1-2 seconds of it. Almost as soon as the bear hit the spray, it 180'd.
Do more hiking vids!!
Did you name the bear 🐻 lol 😆
Where do you get these songs?
My brain. haha
what did you call Dan Becker? Ha!
A baller , haha
6 ft is so so close!
Yup! But it was when I had a clear shot!
You sound like Michael Bolton
Have you ever thought about a bear bell so you dont have to sing and shout all the time?
I have found they are not loud enough, which is supported by some experts
@@JustinOutdoors thanks for the follow up! Would also love to know how you are editing these videos on your trip, or if someone is doing it for you back home. Just LumaFusion on your iPhone?
@@tarekith I'm filming and editing on a Samsung S10E phone with the VN Editor app. I edit each night and then upload in town :)
@@JustinOutdoors thanks for getting back to me, sounds like an efficient way to keep the updates happening!
If I had been charged by a bear I would be at home now! You are inspirational … still n all I would have a flare gun at hand. My friend, a geologist, was handed a gun before they left her in a remote area to map in the Rockies for 2 weeks.
Lol 😆 lonely island
I was kind of surprised to see your bear bag hanging location so low in this. The bags are bear resistant but they can still be ripped from the branch and carried off. They really should be hung high enough and far enough from the trunk so that a bear cant reach it even if they climb. With such low traffic on trail and days between resupplies it would be some miserable hiking if you woke and found the bag gone.
Often when you are getting up in the alpine near the tree line you just don’t have the option to put it out of a bear’s reach. The trees are just too wimpy, especially coniferous trees. That’s the benefit of an ursack vs a traditional benefit in my opinion. I do know a few people who had their ursack dragged off and its always been within 150 m from where they tied it. Even then ⅔ were in the high alpine and not really tied down at all, just tied off.
It's almost impossible to get a hang on the coniferous trees I was in most of the trail. Bears have been recorded chewing through 6inch thick trees to get at food, but that is when they are tempted by it. For this reason, I try to tie to a 6 inch thick tree or limb. The fortunate scenario for me was that when I was in busy areas where bears could become accustomed to human food, there were bear lockers. When I was in more remote areas, it's likely bears wouldn't associate an ursack with food.
hunker down, a canadian term ?
Steph says it's a justin term. haha