Sundance Bear Encounter

By Bob Spirko, Greg White and Henry Yau

On the last summer weekend in 1994, starting from Cave and Basin in Banff, Greg, Henry and I planned to mountain bike to Allenby Pass. What we didn't plan was a bear encounter.

It was an easy ride, a logging road with a gentle uphill grade that snaked alongside Brewster Creek. At 15 km, we reached Sundance Lodge, a striking log building catering to equestrians. After the lodge, the trail became a technical single track; rocks and roots challenged us. At mid-afternoon, we stopped to view a stunning stretch of mountains before turning around. We noted fresh bear scat and took precautions, yelling and blowing a whistle regularly.

On our way back, we stopped to talk to the woman at the lodge. 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 far 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 picked up a branch 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. Then I came around a bend to see a large black bear running after Henry. It was an amazing sight to see a bear galloping, like a dog chasing a car. But it shocked me. I stopped and yelled to warn Henry and to distract the bear. The bear looked back at me but didn't slow.

Henry: I was behind Greg after we left the lodge, and I saw a shadow move in the bush on my left. I kept riding until I heard Bob yell. I looked back 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 against the hill. Bob was yelling, and I could see he had stopped to watch. Then the bear turned off into the bush and walked away.

Bob: As Henry and the bear disappeared around a bend and out of sight, I considered turning around and headed 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 fear. 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. Obviously it was going 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!” I told him to walk towards me.

Henry: I wasn't sure if the bear was leaving or going to attack me from behind, so I slowly stepped back 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 join Bob.

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 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 in fascination. But when it dropped on all fours and started towards us, I realized we were in danger and had to act. I told Henry to back up slowly. As we moved back, the bear continued towards us but appeared hesitant. It moved forward and then paced back and forth across the road. It repeated this movement a couple more times: forward and paced, forward and paced. We continued to slowly outdistance the bear until it turned around and disappeared. 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 saw the bear, about 100 feet away, facing me. It stood up on its 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, and the bear started running towards me! When I heard Bob yell, "Bear!" I was relieved, and I assumed they were safe, so I turned my bike around and took off. I thought 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 would encounter the bear. The woman wanted to use a chainsaw to scare the bear, but she couldn't get it started. So the woman, Bob and I started walking down the trail without the chainsaw. Soon, horse riders appeared on the trail, and the woman assured us that the horses would frighten the bear away. The riders 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. We started cautiously, then sped up as we left the area.

Coming down a gradual downhill, we rode fast, looking around, 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. The bear had bitten off a large piece of it; tooth marks indicated its fate.

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

"The hell with that!" he said, and turned around, racing off in the direction he came!

Greg: I met 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. 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 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. 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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