The Bear Encounter I Think About Every Single Season

Ten years of backcountry travel. Dozens of bear encounters. One grizzly on Divide Pass that I still think about every time I step into bear country. This is a behavioral case study from a solo encounter I documented in real time — Clearwater-Red Deer Circuit, Day 4, 58km in. Three charges. One bear. Four behavioral flags that still don't match anything I'd seen before or since. And what I found out two and a half years later that changed the weight of that day entirely. This isn't a dramatic retelling. It's what I documented, what I observed, and what I think is worth adding to your vocabulary if you travel in bear country. What this video covers: → Why your voice can escalate a bear encounter instead of de-escalating it → Reading posture, not just movement — the stiff-legged stare and what it actually signals → Post-retreat surveillance as behavioral information worth acting on → The four flags I've thought about every single season since → What it means to encounter a resident animal with a lifetime of territory on a specific passIf you're planning a route in this area or anywhere in bear country — drop it in the comments. I answer every one. ──────────────────────────────────── 🐾 WATCH NEXT ON THIS CHANNEL ──────────────────────────────────── The six encounters that led to this video — including the first time this grizzly appeared on the channel: ▶ 6 Wildlife Encounters From 10 Years in the Backcountry →    • 6 Wildlife Encounters From 10 Years in the...  For the decision-making framework behind how I navigate terrain like this: ▶ Why Most Backcountry Rescues Aren't About Bad Luck →    • Why Most Backcountry Rescues Aren't About ...   ──────────────────────────────────── 📍 ABOUT THIS CHANNEL ──────────────────────────────────── Howe's The Hike? documents remote Canadian backcountry travel — the routes, the decisions, the gear, and the wildlife. As a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, I aim to give you something more useful than a highlight reel: real terrain, honest assessments, and the frameworks that actually keep you out there safely.Subscribe if that's what you're looking for. ⛺ SUPPORT THE EXPEDITIONS Join the Patreon community →   / howesthehike   🛍️ MERCH — Howe's The Hike? https://howesthehike.ca/shopping 🔗 AFFILIATE LINKS These cost you nothing extra and help keep the expeditions going. 🇨🇦 MEC (Canada): https://alnk.to/btnkVxS 🇺🇸 REI (USA): https://rei.pxf.io/DyB6qq #grizzlybear #grizzlybearencounter #bearsafety #backcountryhiking #canadianrockies #banffnationalpark #wildlifesafety #hikingsafety #solobackpacking #backpacking 0:00 Intro 0:15 The backstory 0:42 Revisiting the Divide Pass encounter 2:01 Day 4: The Clearwater-Red Deer Circuit 3:08 The encounter begins — three charges 7:42 Four behavioural flags 10:57 What happened after 11:52 What I found out two years later 13:28 The weight of that day 15:04 What to add to your vocabulary 17:53 What I take from all this