Readers Story

There be Bears – Darlene Thomson
With borrowed mountain bikes we felt obliged to avoid technical single, bike breaking tracks and instead searched for tame, but equally scenic, off road alternatives. It only took a quick trip to the nearest bike shop to find just what we were looking for ?¢‚Ǩ‚ÄúThe Trans Canada Rail Trail.

Over the next few months we travelled various sections of this amazing trail throughout British Columbia and never ceased to be impressed.
We had heard about one particularly beautiful section not far from where we were staying and were keen to explore it. We arrived in the small town of Castlegar with the intention of following the trail for about 80kms to the beautiful summer resort of Christina Lakes.
Our first problem, however, was locating the trail at all. It seemed that no one at the gas station where we stopped for directions had any idea where it began. Just as we were leaving the gas station attendant spied an older man who she said had worked on the railway in ?¢‚ǨÀúhis day?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ and he kindly gave us clear directions. Here though was problem number two.
Since it was early May, and therefore early spring, he informed us that we wouldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have a hope of getting over Paulson Pass ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú that it would be covered in snow and so we couldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t make it all the way to Christina Lakes.
So with a revised itinerary of riding as far as we could before turning around we set off along the trail, that most definitely needed good instructions to locate. It was no wonder the non biking locals didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t know where it was.
We began our climb at 9 am at an altitude of 500m. The air was crisp, but there wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t a cloud in the sky. We followed, at a distance, the majestic Columbia River and it wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t long before we were witnesses to the enormous amount of money that has gone into the restoration of the trail for recreational users.
Within half an hour we found ourselves on a newly built viaduct with spectacular views of Lower Arrow Lake. The extreme height of this viaduct had me very much in the security of its centre rather than taking in the views from the edge.
Over the next couple of hours we travelled through 3 tunnels, all of varying lengths. The trail had now veered away from any view and left us surrounded by rocks and trees. After a quick lunch we soon found ourselves at the entrance to a forth tunnel and just as we were about to enter it a group of quad bikers arrived behind us. (The Trans Canada trail is open to walkers, bikers, quad bikes and horses) They suggested that it might not be a good idea for us to go through it as it was rather long. Thinking that we had already easily negotiated 3 previous ones we didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t give it another thought. Instead we suggested that we could follow behind them.
Quad bikers can go rather quickly I soon discovered and within 50metres I had lost them and was trying desperately to negotiate the thick loose gravel beneath my wheels as well as adjust my eyes to the absolute pitch blackness. My more skilled other half had managed to keep up with the quads and because of his concentration at doing so had no idea that I had been left behind. That was until he rode out into the sunshine after the nearly mile long twisting tunnel!
Lucky for me chivalry isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t dead and one of the more gentlemanly riders came back and tucked in behind me so that his lights shone the way.
After an hour of steady climbing we met a second group of quad bikers. They informed us that they had been forced to turn around at the summit as the snow was too deep, but that we could probably get up another 8km or so.
It was hard to believe there was snow ahead of us. Since the first viaduct we had stripped down to t-shirts and were sweltering in the heat.
At 1250m we too were forced to turn around, able to see Christina Lakes but unable to reach them. At least there was something to look forward to. We had ridden uphill for 5 hours and it would be downhill all the way back to the car!
There was no conversation as we tucked ourselves down on the bikes and leaned into each turn. In fact we were making no noise at all as we entered a narrow rock walled canyon. Mistake!!!
There, not more than 15m away, were two humungous grizzly bears! With a screech of our brakes and a loud screech of my tonsils one grizzly bounded up the rock face, but the second held his ground. Within seconds his partner returned and then both of them rose up onto their back hind legs. They were monstrous. Their heads began to sway from side to side and they raised their front paws level with their shoulders and I swear I could see every sharp claw that was attached. We were frozen to the spot, staring at carnivorous mammals nearly 3m tall and nearly as wide as our bikes were long.
The sheer rock face on either side meant escaping that way was impossible so when the grizzlies, eyes fixed totally on us, dropped back to all 4?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s we spun our bikes 180 degrees and literally pedalled for our lives. Somewhere in the back of our minds both of us recalling the speeds at which those giant creatures can move. We didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t look back and for a minute Sarah Ulmer wouldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have kept up.
We rounded the first uphill bend of our retreat and came face to face with a group of quad bikers. Never before was I so glad to share a track with motorized, smelly vehicles and I sent a silent promise not to curse them in the future.
With words spilling out at a mile a minute we explained the dangerous situation. Without a blink of an eye the leader had hold of a can of bear spray and the fellow bikers started revving their engines and tooting their horns for all they were worth. ?¢‚Ǩ¬®We tucked ourselves safely between two vehicles and loudly advanced through the rocky canyon. ?¢‚Ǩ¬®After passing the point of our bear encounter the lead rescuer turned off his engine. His passenger voiced her wonder at the bears not hearing our bear bell. ?¢‚Ǩ¬®?¢‚Ǩ?ìBear bell??¢‚Ǩ¬ù we shrugged. ?¢‚Ǩ¬®?¢‚Ǩ?ìWell they should have at least heard you talking,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù she continued, unimpressed with our ignorance of essential forest equipment. The look that passed between us let her know that no conversing had taken place. As if it was too much to hope for she added, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìThe bears are just coming out of hibernation and they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re looking for food. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m guessing you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have any bear repellent either.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù We felt like 2 little kids having just been given a severe telling off. ?¢‚Ǩ¬®?¢‚Ǩ?ìWell you should be ok now,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù the equally unimpressed leader said, and with that the convoy was off, all participants shaking their heads at the ignorance of the visitors.
After a quick collection of our thought (and a check of our shorts!) we began our descent once more, talking ever so loudly as we pedalled. It was only a matter of minutes, however, before we discovered that we were once again at the mouth of the mile long tunnel and our lead party was well and truly gone.
?¢‚Ǩ?ìDo bears like tunnels??¢‚Ǩ¬ù my husband asked, looking into the gloomy darkness.?¢‚Ǩ¬®?¢‚Ǩ?ìWho knows where they could be,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù I replied, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìthey could just as likely be right behind us.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù?¢‚Ǩ¬®There was no way we could ride through it without the lights from the quad bikes to guide us so with a little pen light held in our teeth we wheeled our bikes through that long, scary tunnel jumping at every single sound that we heard. Those 9 minutes were the longest that I can ever remember.
As soon as we emerged into the light we were back in the tuck position and racing down that hill at speeds that I can only guess at, but never once was there a silence between us. Only when we reached the car did we truly feel safe and able to think about what might have been.
We learned much about bears over the next few days, grizzlies( the king of them all) in particular, and never again took such a cavalier approach to riding on the tame trails of ?¢‚Ǩ?ìthe wild west?¢‚Ǩ¬ù of British Columbia.