September 18 Update, 5:05 P.M. MDT: The Conejos County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to听翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听that the bodies of two males were recovered from the area. As of this update, they remained unidentified.听

Two elk hunters who had been missing in the Colorado backcountry for a week have been found dead. The news was announced on September 18 by the family of one of the missing men.

Ian Stasko of Utah and Andrew Porter of North Carolina disappeared on September 11 after they 鈥渇ailed to check in with loved ones at a predetermined time” when bad weather swept through the area.

Conni Ricci of the Conejos County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听that two male bodies had been recovered from the area, though they were unidentified at this time.

“On September 18 at approximately 11:00 am, the Conejos County Sheriff鈥檚 Office recovered 2 unidentified males 2 miles from the Rio De Los Pinos Trail Head. Following an extensive search operation,” wrote the department in a press release. “At this time, the individuals remain unidentified. The investigation is ongoing, and no further details are available pending identification and notification of next-of-kin.”

However, a family member identified the two men in an online post.

鈥淚t is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update. Andrew and Ian have both been found deceased. Their bodies were discovered earlier today by Colorado Search and Rescue. I will provide another update tomorrow,鈥� wrote Lynne Runkle, Porter’s aunt and organizer of a raised to help find the men.

Both were originally from Virginia, according to the news publication, .

On September 15, Porter鈥檚 fianc茅e, Bridget Murphy, shared an on Facebook, writing that the duo had been hunting near the Los Pinos trailhead in the Rio Grande National Forest. She had last spoken with the men via a Garmin device on September 11, and the two were with their car on the following day.

鈥淔ellow hunters had reported encountering the two 25-year-olds on Friday morning, Sept. 12, near the Spruce Hollow Trailhead in the Rio Grande National Forest around 10 a.m. The missing men said they had spotted a large bull and had headed back out to track the animal, the other hunters told authorities,鈥� wrote Charlottesville Right Now. 鈥淎bout an hour later, the men鈥檚 car was apparently moved to the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead, where it was found by search and rescue teams.鈥�

Their disappearance kicked off a major operation by the Conejos County Sheriff. The agency deployed multiple resources to find the two men, including over 54 teams of professionally trained search and rescue personnel mixed with volunteers in the field.

that officials had located the missing men’s vehicle at the trailhead, but that neither man was present. Deputies launched search and rescue operations after locating camping gear and backpacks in the vehicle, as 鈥渉eavy rain and bad weather鈥� swept through the region.

鈥淲hile they are experienced hunters, bad cold storms and fog came in quickly and continuously until [September 14] morning. A lot of their gear is still in their car at the trailhead, as we assume they probably thought they were going out for a quick evening hunt with clear weather,鈥� wrote Murpy.

Saguache County Search and Rescue on Facebook that the men鈥檚 sat phone had since 鈥済one unresponsive鈥� and because much of their gear was still in the vehicle, 鈥渢hey may not be fully equipped for an extended stay out.鈥� In a to Facebook on September 17, the U.S. Forest Service Rio Grande National Forest noted there was a 鈥渓arge search and rescue operation in progress鈥� in the area.

According to , none of the gear items needed to hunt, harvest, or pack out an elk were found in the vehicle, suggesting the two men had gone back out to hunt.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 find his bow, his butchering knives, his game bags or binoculars, things he would take with him to go kill an elk with the hope that they could start packing it out to the car that night,鈥� Murphy told the publication. In previous hunting trips, Murphy said the men would return to their car overnight to sleep.

Located near the southern border of Colorado, the is a vast wilderness area encompassing more than 1.8 million acres. The area where the two men were hunting in the San Juan Mountains, west of the Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, is a popular, rugged area known to elk hunters.

国产吃瓜黑料 contacted the Colorado Search and Rescue Association, as well as the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office, for further information. We will update this article when a response is received.

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Update September 18: The National Park Service said that the hiker was treated for his injuries and released from a nearby hospital. Officials investigating the incident said they found grizzly tracks as well as an animal carcass in the area. The NPS has closed Turbid Lake Trail, where the attack took place, until further notice.

A 29-year-old solo hiker is in the hospital after a bear attacked him in Yellowstone National Park.

The that the hiker was walking alone along the Turbid Lake Trail, northeast of Yellowstone Lake’s Mary Bay, on September 16 when he ran into the bear. The hiker attempted to use his bear spray to ward off the animal, but he still suffered “significant but non-life-threatening injuries to his chest and left arm.”

NPS medics met the hiker at the scene of the attack and walked out with him roughly 2.5 miles to the Pelican Valley Trailhead. From there, an ambulance transported him to the park’s Lake Medical Clinic, where a helicopter picked him up and flew him to a hospital.

While the hiker told park authorities that he believed the animal involved was a black bear, the NPS said that based on the location of the attack and the hiker’s description, they believed it might have been a grizzly instead. Bear managers will try to identify the species through DNA analysis. As the incident was a “defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter,” the NPS does not plan to trap or kill the animal.

Turbid Lake Trail remains closed in the wake of the attack.

This week’s encounter is the first time in more than four years that a bear has injured a human inside Yellowstone National Park’s boundaries. In May 2021, on the park’s Beaver Ponds Trail, causing serious but non-fatal wounds to his legs; the hiker was able to walk out on his own. While several people have died in grizzly encounters in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem in recent years, the last fatal bear attack in the park proper occurred in 2015 when a bear 63-year-old Lake Medical Clinic worker Lance Crosby in the park’s backcountry.

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They probably heard me coming long before they laid their curious eyes on me. It wasn鈥檛 intentional. The sound of the metal tips of my trekking poles scraping against the calcite rock was impossible to muffle. My fianc茅 hates the click-clacking, but I was hiking alone that morning. My dog wasn鈥檛 even invited. Climbing nearly 1,300 feet to the top of New Year Peak, a 6.3-mile loop in the Judith Mountains was a lot to ask of an elderly St. Bernard mix. Plus, I wanted to get a PR. This was my hometown trail in Central Montana. I had my eyes on being crowned queen of the mountain.

Over the last 20 years, I’d shaved around a minute off my best time every summer. I鈥檇 also never encountered anything more dangerous than a stray storm cloud. Today, however, felt different. Word in the local Facebook hiking group was that a grizzly bear had recently been seen up here. The Judiths are an island mountain range, far from the Western Rockies and Greater Yellowstone where the ursus horribilis likes to roam. Even black bear sightings are rare.

Still, I tossed two cans of bear spray in my car. One was a hand-me-down from my cousin鈥檚 husband who was visiting from Virginia and couldn鈥檛 fly back with it. 鈥淵ou should have had two cans on you,鈥� I鈥檇 lectured him when he told me he鈥檇 seen a bear while hiking in Glacier National Park earlier that week.

In 2024, I wrote a story about the increase in grizzly-bear-human encounters in Yellowstone for 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 sister publication . Everyone I鈥檇 interviewed from Kerry Gunther, a world-renowned bear management biologist, to Todd Orr, a Montana hunter who survived two grizzly bear attacks in 2016, agreed. Carrying two cans on your person was a must. 鈥淥ne can is for the first bear you run into,鈥� they explained. 鈥淭he second is for your hike out.鈥� But that day, I didn鈥檛 practice what they preached. When speed is your goal, every ounce counts. While I attached one can to my hip, I left the other to collect dust in my glove compartment.

 

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Four miles and 20-some switchbacks later, I was poised to finish well ahead of my target time. The trekking poles that had been propelling me would soon become invaluable on the descent. I rounded a corner, trading a bare ridge for dense brush, when a small flash of dark fur darted across the trail about 15 feet ahead. It scampered up a Douglas-fir to the left.

鈥淪trange,鈥� I thought. I鈥檇 never seen a marmot up here. And I didn鈥檛 know they climbed trees.

When its twin appeared on my right, I quickly realized they weren鈥檛 marmots. I鈥檇 stumbled across a black bear cub sandwich, and with one on either side of me, I was the meat.

鈥淣ever get in between a mama bear and her cubs鈥� had been drilled into me ever since I learned my ABCs. In fact, I think most kids in Montana are taught this before 鈥渟top, drop, and roll.鈥� While black bears are far less aggressive than brown bears, , 70 percent of human fatalities caused by grizzly bears are the result of a sow protecting her cubs.

Instinctively, I whipped out my iPhone and opened the fitness app like my life depended on it. Then I took a precious second to look down and pause my workout on my Apple Watch, too.

鈥淭here goes my PR,鈥� I lamented. Disappointed, I decided I could at least get some content. I tiptoed closer, phone on video mode. My rational brain knew Mom must be nearby. But my irrational brain had one thing on its mind: Instagram. The cubs performed for the camera, locking eyes with me as I willed them to come closer while cursing myself for not getting the iPhone with the better zoom. The cubs didn鈥檛 hear my silent pleas. However, Mom did.

In an instant, the dense brush to my left came alive as 300 pounds of black fur and blur barreled toward me. I dropped my phone and grabbed my bear spray. Despite drowning in adrenaline, I had the wherewithal to flip the orange safety cap at the top and pull the trigger.

鈥淢ake sure you鈥檙e not spraying into the wind, and spray at a downward angle,鈥� experts had told me for my grizzly encounter article. I鈥檇 even attended a bear spray demonstration at Bozeman鈥檚 . I knew what to do. But did I do it? Nope. I wielded that capsaicin like a can of silly spray and somehow managed to light my mouth and eyes on fire.

Fortunately, the commotion was enough to startle the bear. It also scared some sense into me. We both backed away from each other, her toward her cubs, and me back to the ridge with cell phone service.

I called my cousin. She notified my uncle, who lived a few miles down the road. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gonna fetch you on his dirt bike,鈥� she told me. 鈥淒on鈥檛 move.鈥�

I could no longer see the bears in front of me. But I knew they were out there. And what about that grizzly bear sighting? Suddenly, I wasn鈥檛 so skeptical of the rumor. This is where a second can of bear spray would have provided serious peace of mind. Each can only lasts seven to nine seconds. I鈥檇 wasted most of mine.

While waiting for my rescue, I reflected on my mistakes: hiking alone in bear country at dawn, carrying only one can of spray, prioritizing getting a PR instead of getting out alive, filming when I should have been fleeing, and dousing myself with bear deterrent.

I didn鈥檛 get the QOM title that morning. My cub footage never went viral. And I had to listen to my uncle鈥檚 terrible bear puns. 鈥淭oo bad you didn鈥檛 have salt on you, too,鈥� he joked. 鈥淭hose bears could have enjoyed a well-seasoned meal.鈥�

I鈥檒l do a lot of things differently the next time I summit New Year Peak, or tackle any trail in bear country. In the meantime, I鈥檓 considering signing up for a digital detox retreat. If I鈥檓 going to be mauled by a bear in the future, it won鈥檛 be because of an app.

The post I Knew What to Do When I Encountered a Bear. I Still Did Everything Wrong. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In August 2024, the National Park Service released a trove of data about deaths at NPS sites over a 17-year period. Since then, a growing number of independent media sites, nonprofit groups, and even travel companies have published reports on the deadliest parks by comparing mortality data with visitation numbers for each park.

The latest report, reportedly by travel company , assesses the death rate at NPS sites that feature prominent canyons. According to Antelope Canyon Tours, the deadliest U.S. canyon park isn’t the Grand Canyon or Zion. 滨迟鈥檚 not the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Canyonlands, or even Yellowstone.

滨迟鈥檚 Big Bend National Park in Texas, which also happens to be our columnist鈥檚 favorite national park.

Since 2014, 30 people have died in the remote 800,000-acre park, which encompasses sprawling canyons and deserts along the U.S.-Mexico border. That’s roughly six deaths per million visits, which says is the most of any of the . Although other, more popular parks like the Grand Canyon have far more overall fatalities (164 reported since 2014), Big Bend had more deaths per capita than any other national park canyon.

What makes Big Bend so dangerous? 滨迟鈥檚 hard to say.

For example, in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, home to 14,505-foot Mount Whitney听and other iconic peaks, roughly half of all deaths in the past decade were due to falls. But the majority of the deaths in Big Bend were either classified vaguely as 鈥渕edical emergencies鈥� or hyperthermia, when the body overheats. Only two individuals died in falls.

Big Bend’s immense size鈥攊t鈥檚 one of the largest in the contiguous U.S.鈥攔emote location, and extreme climate create a trifecta of risks. Daytime summer temperatures in the park regularly reach above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This heat, combined with an arid desert landscape that offers little to no shade, can quickly lead to dehydration and hyperthermia.

Cell service is poor to nonexistent in many areas of the park, and the NPS that 鈥渕any GPS and app mapping services do not work well鈥� inside park boundaries. These services may 鈥渞ecommend incorrect [or] dangerous roads and itineraries,” and visitors should “be prepared to use paper maps to navigate.鈥�

Unlike many other national parks, Big Bend is also hundreds of miles from a major metropolitan area. The nearest major city is El Paso, Texas, roughly 300 miles away. This remoteness means Big Bend is often crowd-free, with around 500,000 annual visits. It also means that medical assistance can be hours away, a critical factor when dealing with a time-sensitive emergency like a heart attack or severe heatstroke. Self-reliance is crucial.

Deadly or Hazardous?

Overall, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located outside Las Vegas, records the most overall deaths in the NPS system, according to data published by .听Lake Mead isn鈥檛 a national park, but as a national recreation area, it is managed by the NPS. Approximately 19 people die every year in Lake Mead, primarily from drowning, as the lake is popular for boating, swimming and paddling. In overall deaths, Lake Mead is followed by the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and then the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina, which sees most of its deaths from traffic accidents. (Notably, these parks are also among the most heavily visited.)

However, in , the NPS refutes the idea that one park is more deadly than any other.

“There is not a 鈥榤ost dangerous national park.鈥� Parks have hazards. Hazards are potential sources of harm. Some hazards, like wildlife, rocky terrain, heat, high elevation, rip currents, naturally exist in the environment at the park,鈥� wrote the NPS.

The Service adds that when the national park system鈥檚 mortality data is used to compile rankings of the most dangerous parks, 鈥渋t can lead to a fundamental misunderstanding of the complexities of risk associated with the multitude of park experiences.鈥�

鈥淩ather than asking, 鈥榳hat is the most dangerous park,鈥� we think the better question you should ask is: What hazards do I need to prepare for so I have a fun and injury-free national park visit?鈥� says the NPS.

To stay as safe as possible, the agency recommends planning your well in advance and keeping an eye out for these common hazards:

• Severe weather like lightning, blizzards, extreme heat, or cold temperatures
• Wildland fires
• Geologic activities like volcanoes, hot springs, rockfalls, and geysers
• Water hazards like rip currents, flooding, rapids, and cold water temperatures
• Terrain features like steep slopes, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, sinkholes, and high elevations
• Condition of walking surface, such as gravelly, rocky, wet trails, or uneven steps in historic structures

The post This National Park Canyon Records the Most Deaths Per Capita in the U.S. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On Sunday, September 7, Park Service officials received reports of a car driving over the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and then plunging 300 feet to the rocks below.

On September 8, the NPS published on the incident, which claimed the life of a Colorado man.

NPS identified the individual as Steven (Drew) Bradly, 27, of Federal Heights, Colorado. Authorities said that Bradley drove his car into the canyon near the South Kaibab Trailhead at approximately 12:40 P.M.

“Park rangers responded immediately and recovered the body, which was located about 300 feet below the rim. It was transported to the rim by helicopter and then transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office,” wrote NPS in a .

The NPS said it is investigating the incident alongside the local medical examiner. No additional information is currently available.

It’s not the first time this year that a driver has perished in a crash at the famed canyon. In February, a 2 after driving into the canyon just east of the Yavapai Geology Museum on the South Rim. Officials recovered the man’s body and his car 1,000 feet below the rim.

In October 2021, off the canyon’s western rim near the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

The South Kaibab Trailhead is a from the park Visitor Center鈥攏o private vehicles are allowed at the trailhead. Located 15 miles from the iconic Phantom Ranch, the South Kaibab Trail is a popular tourist destination offering expansive views of the canyon.

According to the , car accidents are the second leading cause of unintentional death in the national park system. On average, one person a week dies on NPS roadways. To reduce the risk of injury from a vehicle crash, NPS has compiled .

The post A Man Is Dead After His Car Plunged into the Grand Canyon appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

North American treasure hunters have cause to celebrate, as the first clue for the Great Canadian Treasure Hunt is听posted online, offering a hint to find a chest of gold worth just under听$1 million (approximately $1.3 million CAD).

According to the mining trade publication The Northern Miner,听a mining group hid the trove somewhere in the country鈥檚 vast wilderness, and the fortune is waiting for the first scrappy hunter to solve the clues and find it.

Just like art dealer Forrest Fenn鈥檚 legendary hidden treasure, which had hunters scouring the American West for a decade, clues for the Canadian hunt are so far provided through cryptic poetry.

The 鈥溾�� is a 13-stanza poem that mentions everything from phoenixes and chalco fever to salt air bearing copper songs, sunken whispers, gilded desks, and singing iron.

Mining publication The Northern Miner and a collective of organizations are sponsoring the to promote Canada鈥檚 mining industry. In addition to the听grand prize, which consists of 217 one-ounce coins, the group will hide a dozen smaller treasures around Canada over the next year, each worth $20,100 ($27,000 CAD).

鈥淭aking inspiration from Canada鈥檚 long-standing mining legacy and the pioneering spirit that drives mineral exploration, the adventure is designed to spur discovery while highlighting the role that mining and critical minerals play in the country鈥檚 future,鈥� wrote .

鈥淭hese metals and minerals are the foundation of modern life, powering everything from electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies to smartphones and life-saving medical devices.鈥�

Although The Northern Miner says all the clues to find the treasure are hidden inside the master poem, the hunt鈥檚 was released on September 3. It read:

Though crystal clear and calm it seems,
This mirror hides more than it gleams.
A single step may seal your fate,
Best not disturb the water鈥檚 state.

The Northern Miner will publish future hints monthly, as well as on its sister publications,听 and .

鈥淭he Great Canadian Treasure Hunt is more than a contest, it鈥檚 an invitation to explore Canada鈥檚 legendary mining roots while flexing your brainpower,鈥� Anthony Vaccaro, president of The Northern Miner, told the publication. 鈥淲e want to inspire a new kind of exploration, grounded in curiosity, logic and appreciation for Canada鈥檚 rich natural history in a way that鈥檚 never been done before.鈥�

Sound like your cup of tea? Well, there are a few catches.

First, the contest is open to Canadian residents. Secondly, the chest doesn鈥檛 contain real gold. Instead, it includes an 鈥渁lphanumeric code,鈥� like a lottery ticket, that will allow the winner to phone in and claim their gold coins.

Although participating in the treasure hunt is open to all Canadian residents aged 18 and older, paying subscribers to The Northern Miner have an advantage. They get access to new clues ahead of time, using the site鈥檚 Treasure Hunt听portal. Unlike Fenn鈥檚 treasure hunt, which was indefinite, the Canadian hunt runs for a limited time, ending on December 31, 2026. If the treasure isn鈥檛 found by then, the prize is forfeited.

Luckily, similar to Fenn鈥檚 treasure鈥攚hich was allegedly found near his favorite fishing hole in Yellowstone National Park鈥�The Northern Miner seems to have hidden its treasure in an easily accessible location, one reachable on foot without any special equipment.

The group provided a few stipulations for the hunt, noting that the treasure will not be found on private property, underwater, or anywhere underground. (Participants won鈥檛 actually need to mine for it!) It is also not hidden in any man-made structure, near graves, cemeteries, or memorials, active construction sites, or inside industrial or hazardous waste areas.

The Northern Miner notes that no ropes, ladders, climbing gear, diving equipment, or off-road vehicles are required to locate it. Just a head for puzzles and a keen eye.

The Great Canadian Treasure Hunt isn鈥檛 the only ongoing search in the world, either. Part of Fenn鈥檚 treasure has already been rehidden, and the clues to find it are offered in this Netflix documentary.

The post Here鈥檚 the First Clue to Find a Buried Canadian Treasure Worth Nearly $1 Million appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Two hikers fell to their deaths in separate events at different popular wilderness areas in late August. The tragedies prompted rescuers to reiterate the importance of practicing safety on both technical and non-technical hiking trails.

After motor vehicle deaths and drownings, falls鈥攗sually while hiking鈥攁re the in U.S. National Parks. Incidents like these highlight the importance of both hiking within one’s physical limits and staying on established trails.

On August 27, a 73-year-old woman fell from the Highline Trail in Montana鈥檚 Glacier National Park, according to the National Park Service. She was hiking with a large group between the Big Bend and Triple Arches formations when she stumbled and slipped off the side of the path, out of sight of her companions. Rescuers found her body 450 feet below the edge of the trail.

The accident marks the second major accident involving a fall in Glacier this year. In July, three hikers in the park were rescued after falling into a gorge while trying to take a selfie, two of whom were revived with CPR.

Two days after the tragedy in Glacier National Park,听a 24-year-old man fell 40 feet from the top of Whittleton Arch, a sandstone formation located in听Kentucky鈥檚 Red River Gorge.

鈥淲hile alert and oriented, it became readily apparent the patient鈥檚 condition was critical,鈥� the responding outfit, Powell County Search and Rescue, posted on . Though the hiker was successfully evacuated to a local hospital, he later died from his injuries. Officials did not release the man’s identity.

The same unit responded on September 1 to another hiker who had fallen 15 feet at the base of a large sandstone formation known as Gray鈥檚 Arch. The hiker was safely evacuated after being found with 鈥渁 laceration on his head, arm, and potentially a sprained ankle.鈥�

The incidents prompted Powell County Search and Rescue to post a warning to hikers on its Facebook page.

鈥淲hat may usually be a simple slip can be life-threatening when at height. Stay vigilant of the ground around you and be sure to always stay a safe distance from the edge!鈥� the SAR team wrote.

In addition to proper planning and packing, the NPS notes in its 鈥溾�� tips that it鈥檚 crucial for hikers not to overestimate their abilities and experience level when embarking on outdoor adventures. Elevation and climate are just two factors that can dramatically change a hiking experience. A five-mile hike at sea level, for instance, is quite different from a five-mile hike at 9,000 feet.

When considering whether to venture into an area, NPS hikers to ask themselves the following questions:

• What is my experience level with hiking? Do I go hiking often or is this my first time hitting the trails?
• How much equipment, food, and water (weight) can I comfortably carry in a backpack? How long can I carry a backpack with all the essentials?
• Am I physically fit for the hike I would like to do? Have I practiced hiking up and down steep hills or am I more comfortable on flat, paved paths?
• Have I ever hiked in this type of environment before? Environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity take time to get used to, especially if you live in a different environment from the park you are visiting.
• Am I able to go to higher elevations? More effort is required to hike at higher elevations due to the reduced amount of oxygen available in the air. Remember that at 8,000 feet you are at risk of altitude illness, a potentially life-threatening condition. If you don鈥檛 know, ask your healthcare provider.
• Am I hiking alone or do I plan to bring a friend? It is safer to hike with a companion, but if you prefer go solo, take extra measures to ensure that you are prepared since you will be traveling alone

The NPS also recommends setting a gentle pace to avoid exhaustion that could cause stumbles and falls. If you can鈥檛 talk to your companions while you鈥檙e hiking, you鈥檙e probably moving too fast.

The post In Separate Events, Two U.S. Hikers Fall to Their Deaths appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

My husband and I were four days into our week-long trip chasing hot springs in the Gila Wilderness and National Forest in southern New Mexico. Gray wolves had howled us to sleep each night, and one had even stared at us along a long, jeep road. We’d run, hiked, and overlanded the wooded roads and trails within America’s first designated wilderness. We hadn’t seen another person in two days.

But on our mission to find another remote hot spring, we’d gotten turned around. When I pulled out my phone to check the map, nothing would load. We were deep into the Gila’s 558,000 acres of rugged wilderness, with only a quarter tank of gas left in the truck. So we headed north, hoping we’d eventually hit State Road听159, which would bring us back to a main highway. Luckily, we did, but not before plenty of anxiety and bickering put a brief damper on our trip.

Gaia鈥檚 new overland map feature would have saved us a lot of guesswork and stress. (Gaia is owned by our parent company, 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc.) Designed specifically for vehicle-based adventures, it layers together everything from paved highways to rugged, unmaintained tracks鈥攁ll with data from , the U.S. Forest Service, and BLM. Road surfaces, seasonal closures, public land boundaries, and the next gas station or campsite are all right there. With the map鈥檚 color-coding, you can tell at a glance whether you鈥檙e headed for smooth gravel or unmaintained dirt, so you can plan accordingly before you鈥檙e too far off the grid.

Gaia’s overlanding and planning magic is apparent when you start stacking up different map layers. Want to see where motor vehicles are allowed? Turn on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps layer. Need to make sure you鈥檙e camping legally? Add the public and private land overlays. Curious about whether you鈥檒l have service to check in with family鈥攐r if there鈥檚 a wildfire in the area? Cellular coverage and fire activity layers have you covered. 滨迟鈥檚 the kind of contextual awareness that turns a nerve-racking drive into a stress-free adventure.

And when it comes time to plan, Gaia鈥檚 tools make it easy. The snap-to-trail routing feature automatically follows existing roads, while the freehand 鈥渇inger鈥� tool on Android lets you sketch your own line through the backcountry. Use the map legends and interactive map on the web to spotlight only what you need鈥攍ike water sources or campsites. Then, download everything for offline use before you lose signal. Once you鈥檙e out there, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration mean your map shows up on the dash, not just your phone. In other words: no more arguing about which turn to take when you鈥檙e 50 miles from the nearest town.

The post Gaia GPS Adds Overlanding Layer for Smarter Off-Road Navigation appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Hikers in British Columbia and Montana used bear spray to fend off attacking bears in two separate incidents this week, supporting use of the deterrent in backcountry settings.

In a听, hiker Shalee Super said that she was camping near Assiniboine Lake in British Columbia when a grizzly bear visited her campsite. The Michigan native was alone鈥攕he had been backpacking with her partner, but he had set out before sunrise to climb a nearby mountain. Super had stayed at the campsite and was planning to hike out to the trailhead that morning. As she was getting ready to leave the tent to use the restroom, she 鈥渉eard something that sounded very big outside.鈥�

Remaining as quiet as possible, Super grabbed her bear spray, an aerosol repellent loaded with the chemical compound capsaicin, which is also found in human pepper spray.

鈥淔ive seconds later, I had a bear claw in my tent,鈥� she said, recounting seeing a grizzly bear 鈥渁bout one foot from me, staring me in the face.鈥�

Super sprayed the bear in the face, point-blank, deterring it long enough for her to escape the tent and scramble up a nearby loose-rock talus slope. Soon after, the animal returned with another bear and ransacked the tent as she watched from a nearby hillside a few hundred feet away. The event occurred on August 21.

In a separate incident on August 28, a pair of hikers in Montana鈥檚 Glacier National Park also came face-to-face with a bear.

鈥淭he hiking party of two was hiking westbound near Lake Janet, when a medium brown colored bear with two cubs charged out of the brush, toward the woman,鈥� NPS wrote in a .

鈥淭he woman dove off the trail, while covering her head. The bear swiped at her, injuring her shoulder and arm.鈥� The woman鈥檚 hiking partner quickly deployed bear spray, and almost as soon as the bear had attacked, it was gone. The woman was only mildly injured, and 鈥渢he entire incident lasted fewer than 30 seconds.鈥�

NPS did not identify the species of bear involved, noting that it could have been either a black or grizzly bear. No punitive action is to be taken against the animal, as there was no indication that the bear听was behaving more aggressively than usual.

鈥淭he encounter was a surprise to a sow with two cubs that reacted defensively,鈥� the NPS said. 鈥淭he area of the trail the hiking party was on is confined by the lake and dense brush, which the bear came out of.鈥�

The release added that visitors to Glacier National Park should exercise extra caution when hiking during the fall months, when bears are more active while they consume more food in preparation for their winter hibernation.

The Efficacy of Bear Spray

Some experts suggest that is more effective than firearms when it comes to fending off an aggressive bear鈥攕o听long as a person doesn’t accidentally spray themself in the face. Bear spray can also be lighter, less expensive, and easier to use than a firearm.

However, 国产吃瓜黑料 columnist Wes Siler wrote that many studies supporting bear spray鈥檚 efficacy show discrepancies between the spray鈥檚 utility in deterring a curious bear, like the one poking its head into Super鈥檚 tent, and fending off a full-blown attack.

A decade-long study of bear spray found that 鈥渋n 15 of 16 close encounters with aggressive brown bears, bear spray was effective in stopping the bear鈥檚 unwanted behavior.鈥� In six of those cases, 鈥渢he bear hung around and continued to act aggressively.鈥� In another three cases, the bear attacked the human after being sprayed, despite receiving what the study refers to as 鈥渁 substantial dose of spray to the face.鈥�

Bear spray is shown to be 85 percent effective at deterring a curious bear, another study found. However, when it came to stopping a bear that was already charging, success dropped by one-third.

鈥淭he exaggerated effectiveness of bear spray is getting in the way of more important advice on bear safety,鈥� Siler concluded in his 2019 report.

Being Bear Aware Saves Lives

For both hikers in the incidents this past week, however, carrying bear spray prevented an attack. Super said that although the bear destroyed most of her and her partner鈥檚 belongings, she harbored 鈥渘o ill will鈥� towards the animal.

鈥淚 am well aware that I was the outlier in his home, the unfamiliar weed in his garden,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ear vs. man debate? Still bear, every time. Although I would like to never see one even remotely close again.鈥�

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If you鈥檇 asked me prior to 2018 if I still knew all the music I listened to during my teenage years, I鈥檇 have answered, 鈥淪ure, I remember those bands.鈥� Asked whether I remembered whole albums, I would have looked at you like you were crazy.

But then I spent 73 days completely isolated in the Canadian wilderness on Alone season 6. It turns out, I realized to my chagrin, not only albums, but the lyrics to every song on them were etched into the dark furrows of my brain, just waiting to be recalled.

What I longed for on Alone was a deep connection to nature, and meditative timelessness. What I got, played over and over in my head until I could hardly take another chorus, was Pearl Jam鈥檚 1991 album Ten, and The Pixies鈥� 1988 album Surfer Rosa, among others. I later learned that having your old favorite music play on repeat in your brain was a very common phenomenon for Alone participants who were able to spend weeks living by themselves.

The human nervous system is hard-wired to be social. From the almost humorous to the truly torturous, being plunked into unknown wilderness in total isolation鈥攚hich is what happens on Alone鈥攔esults in all manner of strange mental phenomenon.

Add extreme calorie deprivation, and you鈥檝e got a formula that pushes participants to the very brink of mental, emotional, and physical endurance. While participants are armed with an array of cameras and the goal of 鈥渄ocumenting absolutely everything,鈥� the most poignant parts of the experience really can鈥檛 be captured on film.

The First Test: Hunger

For most people, hunger is the first challenge. It begins slowly then ramps up as it passes through several predictable and increasingly distressing stages.

First is the hunger of habit鈥攐ur bellies grumble and ache on cue, according to our regular meal schedule. We are still flush with calories, but this early hunger can actually feel more uncomfortable than later stages as we adjust to the sudden change in our circumstances.

In three to seven days we use up all the stored sugar in our body and switch to running on fat, a metabolic state known as ketosis. For some the shift can be blessedly asymptomatic, for others it comes with headaches, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and more.

If they can stick it out, many find that their hunger actually lessens in ketosis, and their strength returns. This stage on Alone season 6 was euphoric for me. Part 2 of my memoir Never Alone: A Solo Arctic Survival Journey is titled 鈥淟iving on Beauty.鈥� I wasn鈥檛 eating, besides an occasional handful of watery crow berries, but the wilderness around me was so jaw-droppingly beautiful that I felt deeply nourished by it, body and soul.

Unfortunately, without food starting to come in, the reprieve for participants is short lived and we move into the stage I call deep hunger.

In deep hunger we may or may not feel an empty, aching belly, but our body knows something is amiss and it sends red flags to the mind. We become obsessed with thoughts of food. During 础濒辞苍别鈥檚 12th season, Kelsey Loper鈥檚 long litany of food fantasies on day 14 was the perfect example. It may sound like just an amusing way to pass the time, but it is torture.

I did my best to control my mind on season 6 and to only fantasize about foods that were potentially obtainable out there: juicy moose steaks and crispy beaver fat. On Alone: Frozen, however, I became utterly fixated on clotted cream. Mind you, I鈥檝e never been to the U.K. and didn鈥檛 even know what clotted cream was. I just knew that it sounded like the richest food on the planet. I would probably have traded my sleeping bag for some if I could have.

The mental agony of this hunger triggers deeper loneliness. Our loved ones are out there somewhere, perhaps needing us, and many feel a relentless pull towards home. They must either adapt or tap. The strange shift from using 鈥淚鈥� to 鈥渨e鈥� pronouns can occur, as Kelsey demonstrated on season 12. My theory is that it鈥檚 our mind helping us handle the isolation by considering ourselves a crowd. It makes us feel less alone on Alone. While use of the royal 鈥渨e鈥� may make us seem a little unhinged to the viewers, I think it gives us an advantage.

When Hunger Becomes Starvation

Somewhere between day 20 and 25 or so we reach another critical hunger threshold. At this point, the average person has used up every calorie stored in their body. 滨迟鈥檚 no longer deep hunger, it鈥檚 starvation. Without more food coming in, the only way to keep going is to digest one鈥檚 own muscles. Viewers can see the weight loss and the faltering strength but there is no way to capture the deep toll starvation takes on every part of the body. Fatigue, breathlessness, shaking legs, muscle cramps, the heart beating in one鈥檚 ears. Some feel their slow decline keenly, some are less phased by it.

During season 6 I was desperately hungry, but so driven and in love with the experience that I did not feel the symptoms as I slipped into starvation. I was shocked when, on one of the routine medical checks, someone asked if sleeping was harder now that I was so bony. I didn鈥檛 understand the question. With temperatures well below zero Fahrenheit, I hadn鈥檛 taken off my long underwear in weeks so I chose to believe I was still as robust as I felt. (I was wrong. Seeing my shrunken cheeks and bulging eyes in the mirror on the day I left my site was the biggest shock of my life.)

What I couldn鈥檛 deny were the deep, bloody cracks in my fingers that made even the simplest daily tasks excruciating. Without calories coming in, the skin loses the ability to create the lubricating oils that keep it supple or to repair minor cuts.

While watching season 12, I saw how Katie Rydge鈥檚 lips became so swollen and chapped that she couldn鈥檛 stop licking them. Skin that can鈥檛 heal invites infection. What would have been a minor inconvenience in regular life can become life threatening during starvation.

The Emotional Toll

As we lose the physical buffers of body fat, intact skin, and muscle mass, we lose our emotional buffer as well. We become raw and have less ability to edit ourselves. Time slows and our awareness stretches out. Most experience wide swings of emotion鈥攋oy so profound it brings tears and grief that blindsides us. It can be a beautiful or a terrifying experience.

Most participants spend the weeks leading up to launch agonizing over our gear and wardrobe choices. As the weeks tick off on Alone, we learn that it does, indeed, come down to what we have brought out there with us. Not our ten items, but what we carry inside.

Upon returning to civilization, I pondered the particular songs that had played on repeat out there. No doubt part of it was just my brain trying to distract me from my discomfort and fill the empty space. It wasn’t just mindless popsongs I had been hearing though, it was the angsty music that accompanied the gut-wrenching years of my puberty, first loves, and high school social struggles. There was unresolved trauma in that soundtrack, waiting for enough spaciousness and silence to rear its head. I clearly moved through it, because fascinatingly, my second Alone adventure had an entirely different soundtrack, that of my much earlier childhood鈥攍argely broadway musicals and seventies love ballads. This was the background music to the years surrounding my parents鈥� divorce.

We can鈥檛 tough our way through Alone with the stoneface arm flexing of Rambo and other Hollywood survival stars. All of our life experience comes with us and demands our attention. Whether this breaks us down or brings us healing is up to us.

If we understand that life requires hard work and are thankful for all we have instead of focusing on what we don鈥檛, we can find enough beauty and joy to keep us going. If we feel entitled to comfort or the things we need to live, we may feel victimized and angry when we experience true deprivation. If we haven鈥檛 come to grips with our own shadows or we wall off our emotions, we will likely find them waiting in the darkness to wallop us. Extreme discomfort is inevitable out there, but whether we experience it as suffering is up to us.

There is a reason why most traditional cultures incorporate some measure of fasting or time alone in the wilderness as a rite of passage. Long term stays on Alone take these experiences and multiply them manyfold.

Approaching the brink of death, even merely glimpsing the edge, is an inherently transformative experience. I could see it in the faces of those who made it past the month marker on season 12. A deep peace and stillness. An inner knowing. A full acceptance of self. Making it this far on Alone is a tremendous achievement of body and spirit. You cannot do it without incredible strength and tenacity.

Season 12, set in a new corner of the world and an entirely different environment, was a departure from the usual Alone formula, but the journey clearly retained the heart of what makes the show one of the most grueling and deeply rewarding adventures there is.

听was the first woman to win听Alone,听and between her two seasons, holds the record for the most cumulative days on the show. An author, educator, and speaker, she chronicled her time on Alone Season 6 in her memoir,听. She teaches ancestral, wilderness, and survival skills and offers consultation for听Alone听hopefuls, writers, and filmmakers. Learn more at www.woniyathibeault.com or join her on Patreon for exclusive content and early access to her writing and classes.

The post On 鈥楢lone,鈥� Hunger and Isolation Dish Out Mental Pain appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.