Bears

Alaska is bear country.  You have your black bears, brown bears (e.g. grizzlies), and polar bears.  Luckily for those of us who live in Juneau, most of the bears here are black bears, the least dangerous out of them all.  Still, bears are wild animals and can pose a danger to people.  Although I love that Juneau has many trails to offer, I often hike with a pinch of fear that I may encounter a bear.  I also worry about how Millie will react to bears.  Will she stand her ground and scare the bear away for me?  Or will she run up to it with a wagging tail like she does with most people and dogs?  I could leash her, but what's the fun in that?  I am out on trails two to four times a week, and I have seen a bear only once - in an area specifically designated for wildlife viewing (Steep Creek Trail at the Mendenhall Glacier).  However, my husband has had at least 7 bear encounters - some of them just outside our home!  I worry that my luck will run out and I will have a bear encounter that will make my heart skip a beat... but life must go on.  There's no point in living in Alaska if I'm not going to enjoy the outdoors.  So I continue to hike, at times armed with a bear spray and a bear bell on Millie. 

View from Steep Creek Trail

For anyone who is new to Alaska or is planning to visit, I would recommend you first educate yourself on bear facts.  It will help you alleviate irrational fears or pure ignorance.  The best thing you can do is to know how to react should you have a bear encounter.  My husband, who works as a Security Officer, has told me on several occasions how he's had to keep tourists away from bears that have wandered into town.  These tourists often don't realize that bears can be dangerous and try to approach them for better photos, or out of sheer curiosity.  If you come to Alaska and see a bear, remember this is no Disneyland - the bears are real.