Backcountry Read online

  Alex grabbed the container and the permit and walked out with Jenn into the car park.

  “Everything okay?” she asked. “Are we good to go?”

  “We’re good,” Alex said, looking back at the ranger’s cabin. “Everything is going to be perfect.”

  He looked down at her pocket and frowned. She followed his gaze and saw that the pamphlet was poking out; the top of the bear’s head was clearly visible.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Nothing important,” Jenn said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  He just arched an eyebrow at her.

  Jenn sighed and handed it over. Alex quickly read through it, his frown deepening.

  “Seriously, Jenn? Are you trying to give yourself nightmares?” he snapped. “You really don’t need to be reading that.”

  He crumpled the pamphlet into a ball and flicked it into the closest bin, then turned to walk away. Seething, Jenn stayed where she was, and after a few steps, he turned back to her.

  “I wasn’t finished with that,” Jenn said angrily. “If I want to find out more about what I’ve gotten into, then that’s up to me. Don’t do that again, okay?”

  For a moment she thought he was going to snap back, but he let out a sigh and stepped towards her.

  “I’m sorry, babe, that was pretty rude of me,” he said. “That ranger just rattled my cage a bit. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Truce?”

  “Truce.”

  “Great,” Alex said. “How about we go check out this boat?”

  She followed him back to the car, but not before she looked back at the bin, thinking about grabbing another copy of the pamphlet.

  YOU ARE IN BLACK BEAR COUNTRY!

  Precautions

  Regardless of whatever precautions you take, you may still encounter a bear. Bears are complex animals and all encounters are different. No single strategy is applicable to every situation, but you can minimize your risk:

  Do not leave food scraps out. Ensure all waste is stored in a sealed bag and hung at least twelve feet off the ground and three feet from the trunk.

  Do not prepare food in your tent or nearby. Ensure bedding does not smell of food.

  Plan your meals to minimize leftovers. Avoid smelly foods—dry food or prepackaged meals are best.

  Dispose of fish offal in a fast-flowing body of water or in the deep part of a lake, never at the shore.

  Only camp in designated areas and try to find a clearing surrounded by sparsely branched trees that can be climbed as a refuge if necessary.

  Only use designated hiking trails and paths; avoid natural wildlife trails.

  Bear Encounters

  Encountering a bear can be a terrifying experience. However, your best chance of surviving is to keep calm and try to follow these rules:

  Keep calm. Think ahead; your superior intellect is your best defense against a bear attack. Have a plan of how to respond to a bear encounter worked out in your mind before camping or hiking in bear country.

  Do not run. Bears can easily outrun a human, and running may precipitate an attack. Reduce your vulnerability. Pick up small children and stay in a group.

  Don’t crowd a bear. Back away slowly and talk softly and in a soothing tone. Don’t make direct eye contact or move closer.

  Vacate the area or make a wide detour. If you are prevented from leaving, wait for the bear to leave and make sure that you give it an escape route.

  Bears are curious and may approach or rear up on their hind legs. If one stands on its hind legs, it is probably trying to catch your scent and is not necessarily being aggressive. Back away slowly and talk in a soft voice.

  Don’t drop objects or food in an attempt to distract the animal. If it receives food, it will have been rewarded, increasing the chances that it will repeat that behaviour.

  Ensure that you are carrying bear spray. Bear spray is made up of the same basic ingredients as pepper spray and may deter a bear that is attacking. It is formulated to reach distances of and be effective at around twenty-five feet. This should allow time for the bear to feel the effects of the spray and break off its attack.

  Carry the bear spray clipped to your belt for quick access, rather than in your pack—time may be of the essence. Do not apply spray to people, tents, or other equipment—bear spray is not a repellent. Different conditions may impact its effectiveness; wind and rain may limit results. Bear spray is not guaranteed to work on all bears and is not a “magic bullet,” but merely another tool to increase your chances of survival in case of an attack.

  One: A fleeing bear

  Most bears will avoid humans. Use a flashlight at night to decrease the likelihood of surprising a bear. Always keep at least 100 yards, or the length of a football field, between you and the bear. Leave the area or detour around the bear and always allow the bear a clear path to get away from you. Do not make a bear feel cornered and ensure that there is a clear path left open for it to leave.

  Two: A habitual bear

  Black bears are opportunistic feeders and are always looking for easy sources of food. Once a bear discovers a source of human food or garbage (if it becomes food-conditioned), it will continue to seek it out. This includes backpacks, picnic tables, coolers, and campsites. If bears become acclimatized to human contact, their natural fear of people decreases and they lose their caution about human contact and take opportunities to find food rewards. So-called “spoiled bears” are unpredictable and may be aggressive.

  There is very little that can be done to manage habituated, food-conditioned black bears. Bears often pay with their lives for human mistakes, and the only true solution is not to allow bears to become opportunistic in the first place. It is your responsibility to make sure all food, trash, and other possible bear attractants are stored properly—and to do your part to protect the bears from yourself.

  Three: A defensive bear

  If you surprise a bear it will attempt to defend itself, its young, or its food. If contact has been made or is about to occur, play dead. Lie on your stomach with your legs apart, protecting your face, the back of your head, and your neck with your arms. Remain silent and if you are wearing a pack, leave it on for protection. Keep in mind that actual attacks are rare, despite common aggressive displays by black bears. Generally, bears will leave you alone once they believe the threat has passed.

  Aggressive behaviours to watch for include: swinging its head from side to side; vocalizations such as huffs, snorts, whoops, or moans; displaying teeth or claws; swatting at the ground; eye contact; panting; and laying its ears back.

  These displays may indicate that the bear is stressed, acting defensively, or indicating a desire for more space. Attacks rarely follow. This is the most common kind of aggressive black bear encounter.

  Four: A Predatory Bear

  This is the most serious encounter you may have with a black bear and is potentially deadly. This occurs when a bear stalks or follows you for an extended period and then decides to attack, or when a bear attacks you at night. In this type of situation, playing dead will not help. Rather, you should try to escape to a refuge such as a vehicle or hard-sided camper.

  Climbing a tree may be an option, but keep in mind that black bears can readily climb trees. If escape is not possible and a bear continues to pursue, react aggressively and try to intimidate the bear. If intimidation fails, try to fight back with any means necessary, such as bear spray, sticks, stumps, knives, or any other available weapons, to convince the bear to seek easier prey. Stay in a group if you are not alone and do not scatter. Call for help as someone may be close by.

  Remember: you are
in the bear’s home.

  Remember, you are coming into the bear’s home. Bears have a right to exist and it is our responsibility to minimize the impact that we have on their habitat. By following the instructions in this pamphlet, you can do your part to ensure the continued coexistence of bears and humans in our provincial parks.

  Feeding bears or being careless with your leftovers and garbage can be a death sentence for these magnificent animals, as relocation is not always possible and bears that behave in an aggressive manner or continue to wander into the proximity of humans may be destroyed.

  It is our hope that this pamphlet, rather than causing fear, will lead to a greater understanding of bears, therefore preventing unnecessary conflict and minimizing the chance of potential fatal interactions between our two species.

  We need your help in ensuring the continued survival of all our wildlife and we hope that you will do your part. That way, future generations will be able to enjoy our parks the same way we and our forefathers have been able to do.

  If you have any further questions about bears or about any of the other animals in our park, please do not hesitate to chat with your friendly park ranger. All of our rangers are happy to talk to you at any time regarding this or any other park matter.

  Happy camping!

  Friday Afternoon

  “It’s gorgeous,” Jenn breathed.

  She pressed her face up against the window as they drew closer to the lake like a young child peering into a store full of toys and candy. She rolled down the window and took a deep breath of the clear air, so different from the smells of the city. The lake had a distinct odour like nothing she had ever smelled before—not unpleasant but strong,crisp and damp.

  “It sure is, honey,” he said. “There aren’t many other places like this.”

  Alex pulled the car into the parking area closest to the canoe rack that sat on the shore. It was very close to the water and someone—Parks Ontario, Jenn assumed—had created an artificial beach of coarse sand that sloped gently into the blue waves and acted as a ramp for launching the canoes. The bay opened out into the open expanse of the lake, the blue water set off perfectly by the fall colours of the trees that ran up the slopes of the hills which cradled the lake. Jenn felt her heart lift at the sight and, perhaps for the first time, began to understand why Alex loved this place so much. When he had said this was the perfect time of year to be here, he hadn’t been wrong. The temperature was ideal—not too hot and not too cold—and the breeze coming off the water left a soothing sensation on her skin. Alex’s timing had been immaculate.

  The beep of Jenn’s phone cut through their shared enjoyment of the scene before them, and he turned to look at her. She knew he was pissed but she started typing anyway.

  “Really?” he asked impatiently.

  “Last one. It’ important,” she said.

  “Come on, babe,” he said, frustration evident in his voice.

  “I’ve been waiting for this email all week,” she said. “I need to forward these contracts on to someone to action, otherwise the client might lose a big deal on that new shopping centre they’re building.”

  “Can’t it wait until we get back on Tuesday?”

  “No, it can’t. It could cost the firm almost a million dollars, and if that happens, I won’t have a job to go back to on Tuesday.” She tried not to snap at him further despite her frustration at the fact that he seemed to have forgotten their earlier conversation in the car. Instead, she kept tapping away. “Okay . . . done.”

  She was about to power down her phone when Alex stopped her.

  “Let’s take a selfie to mark the departure. Put that thing to good use for a change,” he said.

  They stood with the lake at their backs and Jenn wrapped one arm around Alex, holding the phone outstretched in the other one. “Say cheese!” she said.

  There was a click and she brought the phone close so they could see the picture.

  “Oh, it’s lovely,” she said. It really was: there were broad smiles on both their faces and the breathtaking view of the lake behind them. She started fiddling with the menu. “I’m making this my wallpaper.”

  “That’s a big call. I mean, what about that kitten pic?” Alex teased. “And what happens if you take an even better photo while we’re here? Talk about dilemmas!”

  Jenn poked out her tongue at him and reached down to place the phone in the side pocket of her backpack. She took out her water bottle, walked to the very edge of the lake, and stared out over the water, taking in the spectacular view. The trees that ran alongside the bank were reflected perfectly in the lake’s still water, creating the illusion of an enormous mirror. The air was so clear that she could see for miles, picking out the occasional rocky outcropping emerging from the treeline like some slumbering prehistoric beast. The park was pristine, and if you looked in the right direction, not a sign of the presence of humans was to be seen. Jenn wondered if this was what the whole country had looked like a few hundred years ago, before people started chopping down trees for timber, building skyscrapers, and bulldozing roads through all these once-inaccessible places. She took a deep breath, savouring the clean, crisp air so different from the acrid taste of the city.

  She could hear Alex behind her rummaging through their packs.

  “Everything okay?” she called out, not turning around.

  “Yeah, just shifting some stuff around so your pack isn’t too heavy,” he said.

  “Make sure I’m carrying my fair share, okay?” she said. “I’m fitter than you.”

  “It’s not that, I’m just more used to hiking than you,” he replied. “Don’t worry, you aren’t going to get away without carrying something.”

  She laughed and turned towards him. “I should hope not.”

  She watched as he walked back to the car and slid into the passenger’s seat. She couldn’t make out what he was doing—putting something in the glove compartment? Then he placed something on the dash and she realised he must have been putting out the permit the ranger had given them. He hopped out and gave the car one last look-over, then locked it before walking back over to her.

  “All set?” he asked her.

  Jenn nodded. “Now that I’ve seen it, I can understand why you talk about this place so much,” she said. “I’m kind of excited to see what the rest of the place looks like now.”

  Alex was obviously delighted to hear that. His grin lit up his whole face. He leaned forward and kissed her. “You are going to love it,” he said. “I just know it.”

  The boat trailer was almost full, which Alex said was a good sign. If it had been empty, he would have assumed that the park was crowded. As it was, it probably wasn’t going to be as isolated as he’d hoped, but he told her he could live with that. The trailer was built on an A-frame design, with six canoes stacked on rubber-coated metal bars that ran in tiers down both the sloped sides. The canoes were different from the ones Alex had described to her—fiberglass instead of wood—and even the trailer looked like it must have been upgraded since the last time he had visited. He dumped their bags at the end of the trailer, found the canoe marked six, and called Jenn over.

  “Honey, could you give me a hand here?” he asked. “They aren’t that heavy, but they are pretty awkward. It’s all about the balance.”

  “Sure thing,” she said, grabbing one of the ends. “On three?”

  “One, two, three!” he said, and they lifted together, raising the canoe above the rubber hooks that held it in place before bringing out it toward them.

  “Steady,” he said. “Do you need to adjust your grip?”

  “No, let’s just do this.”

&nb
sp; They lowered the canoe down to the ground. Jenn wobbled and the canoe rocked, and for a moment she thought that they were going to lose control of it. She managed to get her end under control, and it gently came to rest on the sandy shore.

  “Great work, honey,” he said. “Now, let’s take it down to the water.”

  “Okay.”

  Together, they dragged it down to the bank. Jenn put on the life jacket Alex handed her.

  “Is this tight enough?” she asked.

  Alex laughed when he noticed she’d buckled every clasp and tightened every strap.

  “You could survive the sinking of the Titanic,” he joked and pulled her close against him.

  “So, I am the captain of this vessel,” he said, resting his chin on top her head. “So, essentially, what I say goes. I make the rules.”

  “Is that right?” she murmured.

  “That’s right,” he answered and kissed her neck.

  They stood there for a moment looking out over the lake.

  “It really is gorgeous, Alex,” she said.

  He kissed her neck again, then turned his head so he could kiss her mouth. His lips lingered for a moment and then he very reluctantly broke away.

  “We aren’t going to get anywhere at this rate,” he said. “This isn’t making me want to leave here.”

  She watched as he knelt down and started drawing lines and squiggles in the sand.

  “So, to give you an idea of where we’re going, we need to take the canoe to the other end of the lake, where the trails are.” He traced his fingers along the lines. “The lake narrows, almost like a very broad river. This gives it a faint current, and this passage here opens out at the other end. It might take us a while to get there, but that’s okay. Calling it scenic is a bit of an understatement.”

  “And when we get there?” Jenn asked. “What do we do with the canoe?”

  “Portage it out, and stow it away in the bank,” Alex replied.