Sundance Bear Encounter

By Bob Spirko, Greg White and Henry Yau

Starting from Cave and Basin in Banff, Greg, Henry and I planned to mountain bike almost to Allenby Pass before turning around. What we didn't plan on was a bear encounter.

The summer of 1994 was sunny and warm, and the last summer weekend was no exception. We started out but before we had gone far, Greg's chain broke. We nearly aborted the ride, but after extensive tinkering, we repaired the chain and continued.

It was an easy ride, a logging road with a gentle uphill grade that snaked alongside Brewster Creek. At the 15 km mark, we reached Sundance Lodge, a striking log building that catered to equestrians. We stopped to talk to the woman who ran the lodge before continuing on. Past the lodge the trail turned into a single track and became more technical; rocks and roots challenged us. At mid-afternoon we stopped to view an awe-inspiring stretch of mountains that extended as far as the eye could see. After taking in the scenery, we turned around and began a fast descent.

Perhaps it was a foreboding, but on our return trip Henry saw a large animal cross the trail in front of him. Perhaps a bear? We also noted fresh bear scat. We took our usual precautions: Greg blew his whistle regularly and Henry screamed, "Sega!"

On our way back we again stopped to talk to the woman at the lodge. We asked about bears and she told us that a few bears, including a grizzly with a cub, had been recently spotted near the lodge. But bears were far from our minds when we left the lodge: a fast downhill ride beckoned.

Greg: I was first to leave the lodge with Henry and Bob trailing 12 or 15 bike lengths behind. As I cycled, I spotted a black bear about 50 m from the trail, making its way through tall grass.

By the time I pulled over and looked back, Henry had gotten off his bike and was walking out of view! I was terrified! Obviously he had encountered the bear but I had no idea what to do. I thought for a moment, and then picked up a branch about the size of a baseball bat and headed towards Henry, hoping to distract the bear.

Bob: After the lodge I lost sight of Henry and Greg for a time. Then I came around a bend only to see a large black bear tearing after Henry. It was an amazing sight to see a bear run at full speed, like a dog chasing a car. But I was also shocked by the sight. I stopped and yelled, "Hey!" to warn Henry and to distract the bear. The bear looked back at me but didn't slow down.

Henry: I was behind Greg when we left the lodge. About 100 m from the lodge I saw a shadow move in the bush on my left. I kept riding until I heard Bob yell. I looked over my shoulder and saw a black bear about 40 feet away, chasing me. Reacting instinctively, as if I saw a cop car with lights flashing behind me, I pulled over.

I put my bike down and backed up against the side of a small hill, only a few feet higher than my head. The bear stopped about 20 feet away, stood up and sniffed. Then it came to within 10 feet of me, growling as we eyed one another. I thought of playing dead, but I was too scared to try it so I slowly backed up the hill. I also thought of dropping my fanny pack but didn't. Bob was yelling something and I could see he had stopped to watch. Then the bear turned off into the bush, walking away from where I was standing.

Bob: As Henry and the bear disappeared around a bend and out of sight, I considered what to do next. My first thought was to turn around and head back to the lodge to get help. But I couldn't leave Henry to face the bear alone, so I got on my bike and proceeded slowly, not knowing what to expect.

At first I saw nothing when I came around the bend. I called for Henry a few times but there was no reply. Then I saw him standing in some bushes, frozen in place. I stopped about 50 feet away and wondered where the bear was. Finally I spotted it between us, heading off the trail. I breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared to be leaving.

Then I watched in horror as the bear turned and began to climb the hill that Henry stood against. It was obviously going to try to attack Henry from behind. I wasn't sure if Henry could see what the bear was doing so I yelled, "He's coming around! He's coming around!"

Henry: I wasn't sure if the bear was leaving or going to attack me from behind, so I slowly stepped back down onto the trail and looked back where I left my bike. I could see the head of the bear poking through the bush, looking around and sniffing. We were about 10 to 15 feet apart. This was probably the scariest moment as I slowly backed down the trail to where Bob was standing.

Bob: I felt relieved when Henry came over and stood beside me; I was confident the bear wouldn't attack us both. Besides, I kept my bike with me and if necessary, I could use it as either a shield or a weapon if the bear charged.

Henry and I stood transfixed as we watched the bear come down the hill right where Henry had been standing. Then it lumbered over to us. When it was 20 feet away it stood up, standing over six feet tall. I watched it in fascination. But when it dropped on all fours and started towards us, I realized we were in danger and had to act. I turned to Henry told him to back up slowly. As we moved back, the bear continued towards us but appeared uncertain. It moved forward and then paced back and forth across the road. It repeated this movement a couple more times: forward and then paced, forward and then paced. Henry and I continued to slowly outdistance the bear until it turned around and disappeared.

Then we heard Greg's whistle. We were afraid Greg would run into the bear so we yelled, "Bear!"

Greg: As I came around the bend I found the bear, about 100 feet away, facing me. It stood up on his hind legs and seemed to sniff or try to get a better look at me. It looked to be seven feet tall. I blew my whistle as hard as I could, and the bear started running towards me! When I heard Bob yell, "Bear!" I was relieved; at least he wasn't calling, "Help!"

I assumed my friends were safe so I turned my bike around and took off, dropping my branch to get away fast from the bear. I thought there was a chance that I might be eaten.

Bob: After waiting for a moment, I assumed the bear had gone down the trail so we retrieved Henry's bike. As a precaution, I suggested we walk, instead of ride, to the lodge. I didn't want the bear to chase us again if it was still around.

Henry: Back at the Lodge, Bob and I told the woman what had happened. We expressed concern that Greg, in trying to find us, would encounter the bear. The woman wanted to use a chain saw to scare the bear off, but she couldn't get it started. So Bob, the woman and I started walking down the trail without the chain saw. Soon, horse riders appeared on the trail and the woman assured us that the horses would frighten the bear away. We passed two riders. They said they hadn't seen the bear but they had seen Greg. He must have been okay. Bob and I felt better after that, and we got on our bikes and rode off. We started cautiously, then sped up as we left the area behind.

The ride back to the trailhead was on a gradual downhill and fast. We rode in silence, looking all around us, expecting to see a bear jump out of the bushes and attack us. As I rode, I felt something tugging at my shorts. Looking down, I noticed that the left side of my bike seat had been ripped apart.

We stopped and I showed Bob my bike seat. The bear had bitten off a large piece of it; tooth marks indicated its fate.

We resumed cycling and continued on until we met a cyclist heading towards Sundance Lodge. We stopped and warned him about the aggressive bear. We suggested he avoid the lodge. I showed him my bike seat.

"The hell with that!" He suddenly turned around and raced off in the direction he came!

Greg: I met up with a horse-rider heading to the lodge and told him about the bear. I asked him to tell the cyclists behind me to meet me at the trailhead. Further along, I met a rider and a wagon driver, and I repeated my story.

When I reached Cave and Basin, I went to the teahouse. I phoned the warden and explained what happened, adding he should call Sundance Lodge to find out what was happening.

Henry: When Bob and I got back to the parking lot at the Cave and Basin, we found Greg at the teahouse. I got on the phone and talked to the park warden.

After hearing my story, the warden decided that the incident didn't justify further action, although he said he would talk to the Sundance Lodge operators. He didn't want to close the trail or to take any other action because the bear hadn't carried out an attack, even though there was ample time and opportunity. He assumed the bear chewed my bike seat for the salt on it. He was pleased that there was no food on my bike because if there had been, the bear might learn to attack bikes. He said the bear stood up because they have poor eyesight. But he couldn't explain why the bear went into the bush and tried to attack me from behind. He suggested if a cyclist is being chased by a black bear, he should try to out-ride the bear. An encounter with a grizzly bear would be another matter.

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