About this Event
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Hiking in Bear Country
What Every Adventurer Needs to Know: Myths, Safety & Stories from the Experts
What would you do if you came face-to-face with a bear in the wild?
Would you run? Stand your ground? Play dead?
Bears are some of the most misunderstood creatures in the wild, and knowing how to coexist safely is a skill every hiker and backpacker should have. This engaging and eye-opening class will break down myths, science, and real-life encounters to help you feel confident in bear country.
Join Lindsey Welfelt (Bear Specialist, WDFW), Kevin Grange (author of and former Tetons National Park Ranger), and Anastasia Allison (former Park Ranger) for an evening of bear facts, safety tips, and unforgettable stories from the field.
What to Expect from this 90 Minute Zoom Meetup:
- True bear stories from our expert panel
- Tips to identify common signs of bear activity or habitat
- Advice for hiking, backpacking and cooking in bear and cougar country
- What to do in any type of bear encounter—surprise, defensive, or predatory
- Secrets to hiking safely in bear country—without fear
- How to store food and set up camp to avoid unwanted furry visitors
- Bear myths and misconceptions
- Bear spray, bells, horns and other ways to ward off friends and wildlife
- Q&A with insights and stories from experts
Join Furbearer and Bear Specialist, Lindsay Welfelt from Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife; Bear expert and former Park Ranger Kevin Grange; and Anastasia Allison for an enlightening discussion about hiking and backpacking in bear country. This class will dispel common fears surrounding bears, teach the differences between black bears and grizzlies, understand their habitats, behaviors, safety guidelines and so much more.
A Little About Your Instructors:
Lindsay Welfelt, Furbearer and Bear Specialist (Formerly Bear and Cougar Specialist), Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife
Lindsay Welfelt has spent most of her life hiking and camping in the mountains. As a youth Lindsay committed a number of faux pas while recreating in bear and cougar county, but now is a furbearer and bear specialist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. She earned her Master’s and PhD conducting black bear research throughout Washington’s North Cascade Mountains and spends most of her free time hiking and trail running with her dog (with bear spray, of course!).
Wondering what a Furbearer and Bear specialst does? Check out this article about A Day in the Life of a Bear Biologist.
Kevin Grange, Former Park Ranger at Grand Tetons National Park, Author of ; Firefighter paramedic with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS
When grizzlies began appearing on the trails around his town of Jackson Hole, Grange realized he felt conflicted about having bears on the landscape and was forced to confront his fear of Ursus arctos. So he traveled around the American West and Alaska to learn everything he could about brown bears; to see if he could understand them, and to answer the important question: how can we coexist? In addition to being an award winning author, Kevin works as a firefighter paramedic with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS. He lectures frequently at wilderness medical conferences, and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and trail running with his wife and golden retriever in the Tetons.
Anastasia Allison, Former Park Ranger and Entreprenuer
Founder of and Violinist for the Musical Mountaineers
Anastasia Allison is a former park ranger, and the founder of Kula Cloth. She is also a Wilderness First Responder, the Seattle Trail Scout for Backpacker Magazine, and has been a volunteer backpacking instructor with Washington Outdoor Women for nearly 10 years.
Anastasia’s approach to backpacking and hiking is different than most – instead of focusing on all of the things that could go wrong, she has devoted her life to focusing on all of the things that can and will go right. You will leave this session feeling knowledgeable and empowered about hiking in bear country… and hopefully feeling a bit of inspiration about finding a bit more peace and connection in your life.
What's a Furbearer?
A furbear is a wild animal that bears fur. They can be large or small. Here are just a few examples.
Event Venue
Online
USD 0.00
