“While I was trail running alone, I was about 5 inches from hitting momma bear after turning a tight blind corner.”
A trail runner on the Mount Wilson Trail in California’s Sierra Madre Mountains turned a corner and found that she had some unexpected company. Thankfully the runner was able to stop in time before colliding with the momma bear and maintain her footing on the narrow trail. The momma bear’s maternal instincts took hold and she bluff charged the runner who was alone at the time. Eventually a hiker came upon the scene and together they scared the family of bear away.
“While I was trail running alone, I was about 5 inches from hitting momma bear after turning a tight blind corner. To prevent myself from hitting her, I stopped as fast as I could and almost slid down the mountain doing so. I had already seen the cubs, so I knew I wasn’t safe. I used every trick in the book (except bear spray) and nothing worked. Momma bear continued to charge towards me until another hiker came from behind me and helped scare them away.”