This country is based on fear. Most people I know have their doors locked during the day, even when they are at home, don’t pick up hitchhikers and drive around with one sort of weapon in their car. Americans don't let their children play alone in the front yard, or let them walk to school alone. And many people have guns in their houses for protection. For me it is always hard to make a distinguish between real danger and American paranoia. So what to think of all the information the ranger is pouring over me is not clear to me, real or fear based.
I am applying for a 4 day back country permit in Glacier NP, but instead I get a lecture, including a mandatory video, about black and grizzly bears and how to act in their present. The video warns me several times kindly but strongly not to hike alone. When the ranger finally hands over the permit to me, one last question is fired to me. “So what is the first thing you do, when you enter camp”. Uhhh, take of my shoes, make some coffee…O, I know: “The first thing I will do is hang my food in the designated food area. I will not go first to my campsite”. With the last “we don’t recommend to go alone”, I finally get my permit.
And now I am sitting at the parking lot. Attacking bear images are burned on my retina, stories about fatal bear attacks are swirling through my brains and “don’t go alone” is ringing in my ears. I am trying to rationalize all the information. It can’t be more dangerous then driving a car through Bay Area traffic. It can’t be a yearly event that people get killed in this park; they would close the back country all together. But am I not totally stupid to go alone? All my stuff is already packed in my backpack, I am just hanging out. What to do? “You are a sexy gall, do you know that!” What the heck…, stupid motor biker…, who cares…, I have different things on my mind right now. One thing becomes obvious to me, it doesn’t matter anymore if I am in the parking lot or in the back country, as meat I will be seen.
The first encounter is with a sign on the path giving back country advice. Rule one: don’t go alone. The second encounter is with 2 tourists. “Hey, we just saw a brown bear around the corner.” “A brown bear, you mean a grizzly?” “No, a black bear, its just a little brown bear.” Very confusing and my heart rate is getting higher. I am not comfortable anymore, this is for sure not going to be fun. The path cuts through an in 2003 burned down forest and in every black stump I see a bear.
I sing, clap my hands and shout out loud: “Hey bear!”, the way I have seen it in the video. Its tiring to sing and walk, and when I drop over a little riser I stumble upon a deer. It looks me in the eyes and keeps following the path towards me. I yell, clap, but the deer keeps moving towards me. Holy shit, and this is an animal lower in the food chain then me. What am I up for with an animal higher…. At the last moment the deer leaves the path and goes in a circle around me, to follow the path 5 meters behind me again. I am plainly scared right now and all around me is forest. For the last 3 hrs I haven’t seen another person and this is just no fun. I keep singing, clapping and shouting until after 4.5 hrs I arrive at camp. Hang food first, hang food first echos through my mind. Not a single brain cell is questioning the ranger at this moment. I hang my food and make myself a coffee. 
After half an hr more people arrive in camp and they are loud and for the first time in my life, I don’t mind. Please make as much noise as possible, please keep the bears away. A deer walks around my tent and keeps me awake the whole night. Time enough to think this all through. I can walk back with the group in camp, or keep on going alone. Its dark and I am scared, walking back is the best option, because I totally do not enjoy this hike.
The next morning its however light, the coffee is strong and hot, and I can think more clear again. Don’t make decisions during the night, that’s useless. And so I continue alone the path through the woods. Another single hiker, there is another single hiker on the trail. I am not stupid, I knew it. “Hey, you are walking alone, I don’t hear you shouting, are you not afraid?” C is laughing; “I shouted just 5 minutes ago”. What 5 minutes ago, not the insane every 5 seconds I do? C knows his stuff and explains me finally in numbers what the deal is. By mounting bar wire around favorable back scrub trees from bears, he collects hairs and with DNA identification counts and follows grizzlies around. He really knows what he is talking about.
There are 300 grizzlies in the park, 1000 black bears. The change to be killed by a bear is less then to be stroke by lightning. More people drown in this park then being killed by bears, but you don't hear about that. Bears like other large mammals in the park, tend to use the same trails I am hiking on. A black bear will only attack out of defense, a grizzly might see you as pray, but more likely also a grizzly will only attack out of defense. Just keep making noise now and then, so you won’t stumble upon a bear. The rangers here are paranoid, really enjoy your hike. My heart rate drops, I can smile, I start noticing the abandon wild flowers around, I can enjoy the hike suddenly. 
And the park is amazing. Glacier national park nowadays is not know for the 150 glaciers from John Muir times (only 26 are left), but for the valleys these glaciers once carved out. Saw-toothed peaks, craggy horns, cirques and small lakes are encircling me. As the path stays high on the valley wall, the views are immense. Its beautiful and I enjoy every step I make. 
The last day goes over a popular path and every 5 minutes I meet other people. I even walk into an ex co-worker of me. I take the bus back to the Oto and drive out of the park. It was a great hike and I am happy that I did it. Its finally time to really relax, something the Glacier NP rangers should also do.
Dag,
Iris (Glacier NP, 12650 miles)
