She went out for a solo evening track. Then she saw a bear

It was in May 2020, in the thickness of the pandemic. There was no one around, literally no one on any of the trails.

I worked as a nurse in full -time trauma. People couldn't even imagine the things we saw every day all day. I lived and breathed while running. If I had to work a quarter of 12 noon, I get up at 3 am, I will run 16 miles before work, go to work and then run on the treadmill or go on the path.

At the time, I trained for an ultra marathon, the Barkley Fall Classic, in September. My friend and I have always run together. I was deepening in the kilometers and it became more relaxed. She had nothing for which she was training.

I said to him: “Hey, I'm going to go out on my track.” It is not a very long path, but it is difficult in that it has roots and rocks and all kinds of different things that could present a problem if you are not used to it.

“I don't think you should go,” she said. “It is late in the day. You generally do not go at this time of the day. No one will know where you are. Don't go. “

“I ran this path a million times,” I said. “What is the worst that could happen?” I am eaten by a bear? ”

We laughed. Who knew?

It is by Miller Canyon OHV Area off the Silverwood lake. I took a little different way from what I took normally, because I wanted to get out of there before nightfall.

There is a specific place along the path which has very good access to this fluid stream. I thought I really want to arrive in this place because it's so picturesque, and I just need it to take place.

And so, I walk on this path. I am about a quarter of a mile and I just collect my thoughts. Something told me to look up. In the middle of the path, this huge bear.

I saw Yosemite black bears. They are a bit small. It wasn't that.

I have instantly panicked. I looked around to see if there was something I could climb or a rock that I could throw. There was nothing. Your first animal instinct is to turn and run, but I had read several items About the exhaust of fauna and what to do in these situations, and (those) have said not to work because you will activate this prey.

My next thought was: “I will never see my children again again. Be careful, this is in a period of 10 seconds, I treat and think of all this.

The loaded bear. He runs full strength. I can see the fat everywhere in her body tremble. I had no weapon. There was no cellular reception where I was. I tried to activate the emergency tag on my watch. No. It would not activate. I was cut off from the world.

I said to myself, “I'm going to take a photo because at least if my phone is recovered, they will know what happened.”

I was a dedicated fan for a type of racing vest, for several reasons, but the main reason why I will always buy this vest now is that it has this small plastic safety whistle that comes with each vest. I started blowing this whistle so hard that my life depended on it. The bear stopped running. He surprised her. Now it works towards me.

If I had descended the original way that I usually run every time, I fully believe that I would have surprised the bear because it came out of the place where I was heading. I have almost the impression that it was a divine intervention. Something told me not to go there that night.

(The bear) was probably 200 feet from me. I always had my Strava and my Garmin at that time. I walked back while I whispered this whistle, to the point of pain in my ears, a quarter of a mile to the start of the path while this massive bear followed me. I got into my car and I could still see the bear to come. I was in ruins.

I fully thought it was going to kill me. I always see him in my mind as if it were yesterday. I was 100% convinced that I was going to die.

I don't know why he loaded. This is my only question. I contacted Fish and gameAnd they said to themselves: “It is a very unusual behavior. We don't know why it would have done this. Usually the bears will take off when they see people. ”

I think I may have surprised him, and then when I whistled, I without fail I surprised him, and I think it was just curious at that time.

(My racing partner) thought I was lying at first. She said: “No question”. I sent him the photo. She is like: “You put it in the universe!” I was like, what do you know? I did not demonstrate this bear.

The most important thing (I learned) was to make sure that someone always has a copy where your route location knows. You mean at least one or two people you trust where you are going to be, what time you go, your estimated end time. Send a photo of yourself and what you wear. I still do that, even if I go to a more populated place.

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1 and 1 A selfie that Bethany Pinedo took the day when a bear continued her while she was in the race near the leisure area of ​​the state of Silverwood Lake. 2 Pinedo's vision on the bear while she was heading for her. 3 and 3 Pinedo continued to whistle as she went to her car, finally finding security. (Bethany Pinedo)

I have a bear spray now. If I go somewhere, it's really far away, especially if I'm solo, I'm going to bring it with me.

And I think that the big one for me – Sunset and Sunrise, I avoid these moments.

I know it will drive me crazy, but I went back and I ran the same place the next day.

I was terrified, I was so on board all the time, but I said to myself: “I can't leave myself my property because it will ruin the outdoors for me. I need to get out. It is probably a unique meeting.

I went at 9:30 am. During execution, I generally avoid the sun and the sunset (because) it is at this moment that fauna tends to be absent. (The day before) I wanted to train to simulate possible situations of the day of the race, which could be that I run in the dark, or I run very early, or I run on unknown land. But I said, “Forget it (that), I run when I run normally because being eaten is not worth it.”

When I returned a week later, they posted panels on the bears in the region. Apparently, I shouldn't be the only one.

I continued to come back and I never ran it again. I have been everywhere in these mountains. I was immediately growled by a mountain lion but I still couldn't see it. I met a red lynx here and there, coyotic and deer packs, but it was the first bear.

Old me would never have been returned, but I said to myself: “You are an adult, and if it is something that you are passionate about, you have to face these challenges, anything. You cannot let it limit your love of sport.”

You have to overcome your fear. You cannot let something have you because of what could happen. There will always be the “What Ifs” in life, and you have to resist this.

From where I lived was the nearest and most accessible path. It's beautiful. It's panoramic. It is as if you were in another world. This is the kind of place that is absolutely enchanting.

A place where I crossed, it was covered with ferns and vines, and when I arrived at the end where the water falls on these rocks, wherever you look at, each centimeter of space was covered with baby frogs. It was just the most incredible moment I have ever had on a track. None of the other trails I have never looked like this, had this, so I really love it up there.

Bethany Pinedo is a longtime passionate and passionate runner, passionate and Californian runner. It ran near the Silverwood Lake State leisure area. About three weeks ago, officials published a Bearish opinion For this area due to a significant increase in observations and interactions of recent bear with humans. Pinedo plans to clearly avoid.

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