[kcreative]

I read about that griz attacking a mtn biker in Anchorage during a 24 hr race. I guess we need to be packing during those 24 hour races.

 

[kcreative]

Here is the link

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/450061.html

 

[mouse jockey]

Horrible news. I hope she recovers.

What's the light like at 1:00am in that part of AK? How much darkness do you guys have at or near solstice? Tscheez??

One ranger I read said it wasn't a very smart idea to have a night race next to a river known for fishing grizzlies. And I guess they moved the race this year? Damn, that's just terrible.

thanks for the info.

 

[Valhalla]

I read about that griz attacking a mtn biker in Anchorage during a 24 hr race. I guess we need to be packing during those 24 hour races.

Or not have a 24 hour race in bear dense area...the light is dusky at 1:00 am. The unfortunate problem is that the bears that stay off of the trails during the day while there people all over them move around them at night uninhibited because they typically don't encounter humans.

She was one of the youngest signed up for the race and thank god she is going to recover after multiple surgeries yesterday. Lets keep her in our thoughts.

 

[hiredgun]

A Truely sad event. I live close to the trails where the race was held. There were more bear than ever last year. I haven't heard the count for this year, but I sure its about the same. Late evening and night you need to be careful.

I suspect that the bear are becoming urbanites just like the moose and that we will have more frequent encounters; which is a tough thing to deal with. We all like the outdoors and I'm all for letting nature and critters do their thing, but in cohabitation areas safety may dictate that some animals get relocated or put down. I've had moose, black bear, rabbits, & linx all over my property and have never had a problem. If the Grizzlies start hanging out then I'll feel that I need to do something.

 

[JordyB]

Authorities close Hillside trail where attack occurred:
http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=8579751

Reading more about the injuries, I hope she makes it!

 

[jeff1962]

Authorities close Hillside trail where attack occurred:
http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=8579751

Reading more about the injuries, I hope she makes it!

Wonderfull ! Looks like the state people are covering themselves . I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better. Why ? Because the government is going to get involoved, and as we all know , they know whats best for us. :skep:

 

[Valhalla]

Wonderfull ! Looks like the state people are covering themselves . I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better. Why ? Because the government is going to get involoved, and as we all know , they know whats best for us. :skep:

It is not the State - it is the Muni (City) and BLM (Federal) who manages the lands. The State has nothing to cover for. Are you suggesting that the State should be responsible because there are bears in the woods?

 

[Big Karma]

It would be nice if, when reporting that Rick Sinnott wasn't consulted before the race course was set, the media would mention that the municipal land managers were consulted and approved the course. It's the muni -- not Rick -- that has the authority to approve such events.

Many people were involved and aware of the plans for this race, and they all share responsibility for the course. And let's not forget that about 60 experienced riders happily signed up without saying, "Uh, about this Rover's Run section ..."

As I heard a friend say yesterday, "Hindsight is cheap." The bottom line is that everyone expected a successful race, and bear attacks can't be forecasted like the weather.

This incident was terrible, but it could have happened anywhere on the Hillside and people would be second-guessing use of the trail on which it happened. The fact is, we share the Anchorage Bowl with bears and, 99.9% of the time, everything works out just fine.

Sometimes, bad things happen. That's never going to change.

 

[jeff1962]

It is not the State - it is the Muni (City) and BLM (Federal) who manages the lands. The State has nothing to cover for. Are you suggesting that the State should be responsible because there are bears in the woods?

Look, don't put words in my mouth.I did not suggest that anyone is responsible.In fact I beleive when you go into the woods you are responsible for yourself. And the State, BLM or anyone else should stay out of it.

 

[FrozenK]

It is not the State - it is the Muni (City) and BLM (Federal) who manages the lands. The State has nothing to cover for. Are you suggesting that the State should be responsible because there are bears in the woods?

State biologist Rick Sinnott is quoted saying that they (Fish & Game) were not consulted by race organizers. The tone of the article makes it look like he is complaining about this fact -he is also quoted as saying that no no organized races should have been held in this area since it is prime bear country during the summer. Bears fall under the jurisdiction of the State -Fish and Game.

 

[EndUser]

If the mauling wasn't bad enough....

If the mauling of that poor girl wasn't bad enough, now we get to watch the bumbling, fumbling, boated municipal bureaucrats take over and blow this way out of proportion.

This re-active closure to Rover's Run is purely emotional. It is yet another demonstration of our governments seemingly endless level of ineptitude. Let's be clear, this is not a public safety reminder nor does it make us more safe; rather it serves no other purpose that to implant in us xenophobic fears about the out of doors. It make so sense whatsoever to close just this one trail because of a non-fatal mauling.

The circus has now officially started…

Regards,

EndUser

 

[daveIT]

I wish her the best. There are bears at Kincaid Park too, so it could have happened there. More moose attack people than bears, so it could have easily been a moose stomping. Not consulting Rick Sinnott doesn't make a damn difference. Reading some of his quotes in ADN and other places has kind of pissed me off at times. Be careful out there and keep this young girl in your prayers if that's your kind of thing.

 

[akdeluxe]

I don't think any of you know what you're talking about...except for Tim.


akdeluxe

 

[sean salach]

Or not have a 24 hour race in bear dense area...the light is dusky at 1:00 am. The unfortunate problem is that the bears that stay off of the trails during the day while there people all over them move around them at night uninhibited because they typically don't encounter humans.

i'm very new to the state, so give me some slack, but you're basically saying don't have a 24 hr race in alaska with that statement is seems. what about the joggers that were attacked in the daytime away from the river two weeks prior? should jogging in the daytime be banned since it (sic) obviously increases the risk of a bear attack? i really hate to be getting drawn into the mudlsinging going on over this, but this seems to me to be the biggest misconception running around about the tragedy.

 

[patirwin]

Prayers

Thank God she's alive and to Pete for having the balls to stick around and help her knowing a bear was in the area.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family, and to Pete, and to all of us who are effected by this.

Pat

 

[EndUser]

You can't come in here and....

I don't think any of you know what you're talking about...except for Tim.

akdeluxe

lay down that law. So, what exactly are you talking about?

I'm not reading anything that might be considered out of order.... I think most here are in agreement. Summary, girl gets mauled.... city closes trail to save face.... blame game starts.

I could swear you're implying Tim is our omnipotent outdoor rep.... errrr something like that. I trust this is not the case??

Regards,

EndUser

 

[hiredgun]

Gasline to roversrun to the BLM parking lot is my favorite shuttle run. I have seen plenty of bear sign and have been very close to bear. Moose are also a big problem thru out Anchorage. On a ride last year I could hear a bear rooting around and I elected to change course and ride out a different trail. On my new course I ran into a moose calf that was also avoiding the bear and acting skittish. We had a stand off for about a minute and the calve moved off trail enough that I could get by.

In the last 34 years I've lived all over Alaska. I've had more potentially dangerous encounters with moose than bear or wolves. I accept the risk of animal encounters when I go out on my bike, my 4-wheeler, my snowmachine, or hiking. This is Alaska and I love getting out and the easy ability to get out keeps me in Alaska.

This incident reminds me of the increased encounters between park users and cougers in Oregon, California, Washington, Idaho and other states. As we continue to absorb more natural habitat; we encounter more animals and the critters become more tolerant of us. Most of us like being close to nature and must accept the risk involved. We will have to continue to educate park users on the risks and strategies for dealing with encounters. The trails here on hillside always have postings on bear sightings, so the effort is made to keep the users aware. Last spring there was a moose kill that a bear was very protective of and everyone was advised to steer clear that area.

This attack really bothers me because she was 14. No one wants to see a young person lose their life or sustain injuries that haunt them for life. My prayers are with her and her family.

 

[EndUser]

The risks are always the same....

i'm very new to the state, so give me some slack, but you're basically saying don't have a 24 hr race in alaska with that statement is seems. what about the joggers that were attacked in the daytime away from the river two weeks prior? should jogging in the daytime be banned since it (sic) obviously increases the risk of a bear attack? i really hate to be getting drawn into the mudlsinging going on over this, but this seems to me to be the biggest misconception running around about the tragedy.

race or no race. Some here will argue it was a bad idea to run the race at night. Fine... great. The simple fact is the risks are always there, day, night, near the river or not. It is just ONE single risk. Yet some will question it. We will come to a point, unable to mitigate every single risk.... then what??

Regards,

EndUser

 

[EndUser]

Are you the Bear whisperer or something???

Or not have a 24 hour race in bear dense area...the light is dusky at 1:00 am. The unfortunate problem is that the bears that stay off of the trails during the day while there people all over them move around them at night uninhibited because they typically don't encounter humans.

Give me a phuggen break, man. If you're suggesting a higher probability of bear attack at night then I want some of what you're smoking. This simplistic cause and effect may seem reasonable, but it's lame conjecture. Get the data and show us.

Frankly, this is a terrible yet unremarkable event. The outcome is as good as it could be.... nobody was killed thank god.

PS... I wish this tread would die.... it serves no purpose.

Regards,

EndUser