Brad Treat was cruising through a densely wooded trail in northwest Montana last summer when he rounded a corner and slammed into a 20-year-old grizzly bear. Traveling nearly 25 miles per hour, Treat and his bicycle were hurled airborne upon impact, flipping clear over the animal. When he hit the ground, he broke both wrists and his scapula. Treat鈥檚 companion, who was riding about 25 yards behind him, heard the thud and an 鈥淎rgh!鈥澛燽efore turning the corner and seeing the grizzly standing and staring down at Treat.
Seconds later, Treat鈥檚 friend retreated down the trail to fetch help. But by the time help聽arrived two hours later, Treat, a 38-year-old Forest Service officer and accomplished outdoorsman, . The male grizzly bear had bitten through his skull several times before leaving the scene. Treat鈥檚 helmet lay beside him, in pieces. 鈥淚t was a rapid event. All of this happened within seconds,鈥 says Chris Servheen, who co-authored an independent report on the incident, released March 3.
News of Treat鈥檚 death shook mountain bikers across the West and even made . How could this possibly happen, people wondered?
The report, authored by members of the U.S. Forest Service, Glacier National Park, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks,聽offers new details on the incident. Treat and his friend, who had never before ridden a mountain bike on a trail (and who the report did not identify), were less than a mile from the trailhead when Treat hit the bear. There were no skid marks at the scene, indicating Treat may not have had time to react before hitting the bear. Treat and his wife jogged the trail regularly, and Treat biked the trail several times a week. Neither Treat nor his companion carried bear spray, a firearm, or a cellphone.
“It鈥檚 an emerging issue as biking becomes more popular and bears expand their distribution.”
Encountering a bear on the trail is a nightmare scenario for any mountain biker. But the report suggests Treat鈥檚 death was not an anomaly 补苍诲听raises concerns about similar encounters that have unfolded across bear territory in North America in recent years. Because mountain bikers ride fast and make little noise, 鈥渕ountain biking is in many ways more likely to result in injury or death from bear attacks鈥 than hiking, the report reads.
There are no official or centralized statistics on mountain biker-bear encounters, but there are several documented incidents from the past decade alone. Just two weeks before Treat鈥檚 death, a rider in the Sierra Nevadas聽, which sent him flying over his handlebars. The bear ran off and the man came away uninjured. In 2014, a grizzly bear charged a mountain biker in Canada鈥檚 Jasper National Park, knocking him off his bike. The bear , which sent the animal fleeing and saved the rider鈥檚 life. Also in Jasper, just a few months earlier, a mother grizzly protecting her cub . The riders ditched their bikes and sprinted away. A woman mountain biking in Calgary was . Other encounters have been reported in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Alaska, and throughout Canada.
Both the number of mountain bikers and the number of bears across the West grows each year. According to a , participation in mountain biking grew by roughly 20 percent鈥攆rom 6.9 million people to 8.3 million鈥攂etween 2007 and 2015. Meanwhile, grizzly and black bears in the West, Alaska, and Canada number in the hundreds of thousands鈥攁nd their populations are increasing, .聽Of the roughly 20,000 mountain bike trails in the U.S., about 5 percent weave through grizzly territory, and well over half of trails are in states where black bears roam, . In that context, it鈥檚 easy to imagine more encounters in the future.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an emerging issue as biking becomes more popular and bears expand their distribution,鈥 says John Waller, a grizzly bear biologist in Glacier National Park who helped write the report. When asked about the possibility of another deadly encounter, Waller replied, 鈥淚 think it will happen again.鈥
But Ben Horan, executive director of the chapter in Missoula, Montana, points out that there are only two known instances in which mountain bikers were killed by bears in North America. 鈥淎s tragic as these instances are, they are incredibly聽rare,鈥 he says. Still, Horan recognizes the risk and understands the potential danger. 鈥淲hen we ride in bear habitat, it鈥檚 important that we remember we鈥檙e visitors.鈥
John Waller says he hopes Brad Treat鈥檚 death will ultimately be a 鈥渃atalyst for change,鈥 sparking more awareness and education about the dangers of mountain biking in bear country. Since the report was published, mountain bike groups have begun bolstering their efforts to educate riders. For instance, Horan says IMBA in Missoula, Montana, is working on new literature about safe riding in bear country. Chuck Bartlebaugh, founder and director of in Missoula, says he鈥檚 also working on producing new safety information for mountain bikers.
One thing that hasn鈥檛 changed since Treat鈥檚 death is signage. Trail signs are typically directed at hikers, but the report makes a strong recommendation that bike-specific signs鈥攚arning bikers to be careful at blind corners and mindful of their speed鈥攂e placed at trailheads on public lands. 鈥Recreation in bear country requires awareness and caution,鈥 says Chip Weber, supervisor of the Flathead National Forest, where Treat was killed. One way he tries to mitigate the risk for mountain bikers is by building trails with improved sight聽distances, so that riders don鈥檛 come around blind corners. He also says it鈥檚 important to locate trails away from areas with high bear activity, like huckleberry patches or salmon spawning areas. Horan also endorses thoughtful trail design, noting that mountain bikers typically prefer longer site distances.
But safety measures and increased awareness may only go so far. As the popularity of mountain biking grows and bear populations across North America expand, it seems likely that .
How to Avoid a Bear Encounter on a Bike
We called several experts for tips on how mountain bikers can stay safe in bear country.
Slow down
鈥淩iding fast in bear country is a really bad idea,鈥 Servheen says. 鈥淚f your intention is to ride really fast, you shouldn鈥檛 do it in a place where you could hit an animal or person.鈥 Servheen also says it is irresponsible to ride fast in areas with poor sight聽distance (e.g. heavily wooded areas with lots of blind corners).
Carry Bear Spray
According to Bartlebaugh, bikers should carry bear spray either in a chest holster or a holster that goes over their back so it doesn鈥檛 interfere with pedaling. He argues that even in a group, all riders should carry bear spray, so if one rider comes across another in trouble, they can take action. 鈥淭he more riders out there carrying bear spray, the more likely someone will be able to help,鈥 Bartlebaugh says.
Matt Radlowski, an experienced mountain biker who rides throughout the west, routinely sees black bears and has had one run in with a mountain lion while on his bike. He compares bringing bear spray biking to carrying avalanche equipment when backcountry skiing. 鈥淓veryone needs to carry their own in case a partner needs it,鈥 he says.
Make Noise
One of the main dangers of riding in bear country is that mountain bikers don鈥檛 generate much noise, increasing the odds of a surprise encounter with a bear. The report聽notes it is important to generate some kind of noise. Bartlebaugh agrees, but says, 鈥淏ear bells don鈥檛 work [for bikers]. They don鈥檛 and bears don鈥檛 seem to notice it.鈥 Instead, he recommends shouting periodically, making specific tonal sounds like 鈥淗ey bear! Ho bear!鈥 from which the animals typically flee.
Look Up
鈥淏ikers are really focused on biking,鈥 Bartlebaugh says. 鈥淭hey need to look ahead.鈥 The Board of Review report also recommends being vigilant鈥 of bear activity (think: tracks, scat, and feeding sites) and not riding in areas with rich sources of bear food, like near huckleberry patches in late summer.
Horan also noted that mountain bikers shouldn鈥檛 ride with headphones in bear country, as it makes riders less likely to hear or notice wildlife in the surrounding area.
Don鈥檛 Ride Alone
If you ride in a group, you鈥檒l generate more noise and will be more capable of responding to a rider in trouble. 鈥淧arties of at least three seem to be a good number in bear country,鈥 Radlowski says. 鈥淓nough people to keep watch, make noise, 补苍诲听extra hands if something were to happen.鈥
Don鈥檛 Ride at Dusk or Dawn
Bears typically feed in the early morning or around dawn, and 鈥渢hey tend to be more active at these times,鈥 according to the Board of Review report. 聽If you鈥檙e riding during these hours鈥攂efore or after work, for instance鈥攖he likelihood you鈥檒l encounter a bear increases. 鈥淏ears work hard to avoid us,鈥 Bartlebaugh says, noting that in some cases they feed at these hours to avoid interacting with humans. He also notes that it is safer to ride later in the summer because during the early season, 鈥渋f bears aren鈥檛 used to bikers, they鈥檒l become more aggressive.鈥
If You鈥檙e Attacked
There are a lot of variables, including where, when, and how you might encounter a bear. But if possible, Bartlebaugh recommends placing your bike sideways between you and the animal. The bike might preoccupy the animal while you鈥檙e getting your bear spray.
Paul Howard, a mountain bike instructor in Whistler, B.C., has grown accustomed to encountering black bears when he is riding. In one case, while Howard was on the phone, a black bear approached him and started sniffing Howard鈥檚 rear tire. 鈥淒on鈥檛 act like prey,鈥 he tells his clients about . 鈥淪tay calm and ride away slowly from the bear.鈥 Howard also recommends keeping your bike between you and the bear if a situation escalates.