Tour Divide and grizzlies?

[6thElement]

That's it, I'm buying cow spray!

Can you get it in aerosol form?

[DenisVTT]

Can you get it in aerosol form?

My understanding is that on many parts of the route, you get it in spray form just by following a fellow rider a little too closely....

[bearcreek]

I saw several grizzlies in MT and WY while hiking the CDT last year.  No problems, but I was really happy to be carrying the spray.  It is highly recommended by USFS, NPS, and has a good track record for being effective.

[DenisVTT]

Any interest in summing up the top 8 points from the book, Toby?  ;-)

So I ordered the book, and received it a couple days ago.

I don't have a top 8 list yet, but I do have a Top 1:

- We're all going to die. An awful death.

[Done]

So I ordered the book, and received it a couple days ago.

I don't have a top 8 list yet, but I do have a Top 1:

- We're all going to die. An awful death.

Yeah, but at least we'll see it coming! 

Some (all?) of the stories are pretty darn horrifying for sure. Fortunately, I think the author does an amazing job of detailing how things could have turned out differently. I truly believe that the book has saved my butt more than once.

I'm looking forward your next 7 points!

[wookieone]

Yeah no shit, I got the book a few days ago and can't put it down, it is both terrifying and interesting. I have been camping and traveling thru Colorado for so long that I just don't worry too much, although the solo night rides thru the backcountry can still raise my shackles a bit. After this book I am peaking my bearnoia to the nth degree. Sure the statistics are on our side, but the fact that we will all smell like pizza, subway, cheeseburgers and fries and will be traveling at times at high speeds during early season makes me second guess my whole take on falling down the food chain. But hell it ain't an adventure without danger, right? 

[wookieone]

Anyone know for sure the deal on taking bear spray into and out of Canada? Seems it depends on the size of the canister, big ok, small considered a weapon? I was gonna get it in Canada, but with 80 plus of us TD'ers I could see some places selling out, so I was gonna get it here and take it with me. But it ain't cheap and don't want to give it over to the border police. I would assume that us bikers would want a small can not a big one, although I am not sure how big either one is? Any thoughts? Jefe

[bearcreek]

You can take it, but make sure it is labeled "Bear Deterrent".  If it is labeled as self defense spray (like for people) they will not allow it. You need to carry the large one.  If you have a incident with a bear it is recommended that you spray an entire large canister into the bear's face.  Bear spray is actually a higher strength than the self defense sprays for humans.  A large bear spray weighs 12 ounces.

[robinb]

I was gonna get it in Canada, but with 80 plus of us TD'ers I could see some places selling out, so I was gonna get it here and take it with me. But it ain't cheap and don't want to give it over to the border police. I would assume that us bikers would want a small can not a big one, although I am not sure how big either one is? Any thoughts? Jefe

don't worry about availability - bear spray is quite readily available from numerous retail outlets here in Banff.  The other gear shops (the hiking, backpacking types) all stock it.  There are probably a half dozen places, all within the down-town core, that sell it. 

[Done]

don't worry about availability - bear spray is quite readily available from numerous retail outlets here in Banff.  The other gear shops (the hiking, backpacking types) all stock it.  There are probably a half dozen places, all within the down-town core, that sell it. 

Good advice. When I cross the border, I try to be pretty careful not to carry anything that customs doesn't like. Hell, you can't even take Kinder eggs in to the US! http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/920600--surprise-border-officials-seize-canadian-woman-s-kinder-egg

[6thElement]

I wonder how much we've caused this book to bounce up Amazons chart?

[ONEPLUSONEEQUALSONE]

anyone heard of or used bear pops? sounded like a heathly sized firecracker to me. did some searching but can't find much info or a place to buy them but during the 09 tdr heard plenty of them in the canada section of race.

[6thElement]

That was actually the bears shooting at the riders.

[Done]

anyone heard of or used bear pops? sounded like a heathly sized firecracker to me. did some searching but can't find much info or a place to buy them but during the 09 tdr heard plenty of them in the canada section of race.

Yep, I used them years ago when I worked for Parks Canada. We had two types: bangers and screamers. The bangers were time-delayed firecrackers; the idea was to shoot them in front of the bear, but it was actually pretty easy to overshoot by accident. The screamers were noisy, and the idea was to shoot them toward the bear. We did use them with one black bear that wouldn't leave our camp alone, and they successfully drove it away.

I wouldn't carry them on the TD though. The "gun" to shoot them is heavy, and I think that they wouldn't be terribly useful in dealing with the types of encounters that you are most likely to experience anyway. I don't know if they are legal. I think that bear mace is a much better option.

[ONEPLUSONEEQUALSONE]

thx for the info. don't need a heavy gun to tote around. i remember when i bought my bear spray along the route the locals called it "bear seasoning" while laughing hysterically and telling stories of death and destruction by bear. i ran across at least 5-6 grizzlies, one with a cub and 1 black bear along my limited journey without incident. most where ez to spook. i was picking up beer cans and hooking them to the front of bike to rattle along the way, worked pretty good.

[DenisVTT]

So I have been working at singing on the bike.

It hasn't been pretty.

I don't know if the grizzlies will be spooked, but whomever I passed on my rides certainly was.

Besides, I can't keep it up. After a few minutes of belting out at the top of my lungs, I either get tired of it or simply forget that I'm doing it and just stop. No way I can go for 10-12 hours in a row!

Also, I just don't know that many songs!

I thought about taking the iPod with me so I could just sing along, but I've always been concerned about not hearing an upcoming car behind a curve or something.

That was until yesterday!

So I was riding in the Catoctin mountains, a usually very quiet place, when I start hearing Lady Gaga (or something, please don't ask for specifics!) singing in the woods.

I stop.  A group of 3 riders catches up on me. One guy simply had a small portable speaker attached to his camelbak.

The speaker looks like this:



http://www.amazon.com/Altec-Lansing-Ultraportable-Speaker-Players/dp/tech-data/B001ELK2NY

It's small, lightweight, and you can hear it from about 300 ft away.

Now I have to figure out what music to put on the iPod that will scare the bears away. I figure Barry Manilow, or maybe Yanni. They scare everybody!

Come to think of it, being mauled by a grizzly might be a better fate than having to hear Yanni for 10 hours. Music suggestions are welcome.

[Nathan Jones]

Nice one, might have to pick one of those up.  Gadgetry is indeed one of my favorite parts of divide racing.