Grizzly kills mountain biker

**Benny Profane** · 06-30-2016, 09:49 PM

Yee gads. Just saw The Revenant the other night.

http://flatheadbeacon.com/2016/06/29...-west-glacier/

**stuckathuntermtn** · 06-30-2016, 10:21 PM

Scary shit.

**sethschmautz** · 06-30-2016, 11:05 PM

An acquaintance of mine from high school. Not close friends, but hung out a few times and had mutual friends. Excellent runner and all around good guy. For obvious reasons, this one really bums me out.

SB · 07-01-2016, 05:19 AM

Vibes

**Bunion 2020** · 07-01-2016, 11:11 AM

Sorry to hear.

We ride in Grizzly country here in Montana. It is a fact of life.

Bear Spray where you can get at it quickly helps. But giving the bears notice you are in their living room is the smart move. We take turns yelling inane things as we make our way through areas of dense vegetation. It must sound funny to those who have no idea why or what we are yelling. And it fucks up Mike Vandemans wilderness experience, so there is that.

**muted** · 07-01-2016, 12:00 PM

I've ridden in bear country lots and felt fine and (thought) I knew what I was doing, but I will not hike and bike up there, fuck that. Just a matter of time before you get an encounter.

**sethschmautz** · 07-01-2016, 01:52 PM

Life brings risk with it, regardless of what you choose to do (or not do). Brad could have chosen to stay at home sitting on the couch watching TV for his whole life and ended up dying of a heart attack from a sedentary lifestyle. He could have gotten in a head-on on the way to the trail or work. It's easy for anybody to be lulled into a false sense of security whenever the majority of your experiences are slanted in one way. *Most* drivers don't get into head on collisions, but it can happen. *Most* hikers don't have violent interractions with wildlife, but it can happen. *Most* routine surgeries don't end up in death, but it can happen.

However, saying "he knew the risks" doesn't make it any less tragic IMO.

Seth

**babybear** · 07-01-2016, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by bunion

But giving the bears notice you are in their living room is the smart move. We take turns yelling inane things as we make our way through areas of dense vegetation. It must sound funny to those who have no idea why or what we are yelling.

was sad to hear this as it sounds like they just surprised it

our go- to sound maker for riding is to sing "The Lion Sleeps tonight"
You can easily sing it really loud while you're riding too -I think those high notes are easier to hit while you are still wheezing from pedaling too

**54-46** · 07-01-2016, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by sethschmautz

An acquaintance of mine from high school. Not close friends, but hung out a few times and had mutual friends. Excellent runner and all around good guy. For obvious reasons, this one really bums me out.

Sorry for your loss.

**::: :::** · 07-01-2016, 03:25 PM

note to self: bear always has right of way

**Tye 1on** · 07-01-2016, 03:32 PM

Raising glass to ya Seth-

**smitchell333** · 07-01-2016, 03:39 PM

What I have been told is that a kid was the other biker and witness to the attack.

Hope the kid is OK

**sethschmautz** · 07-01-2016, 10:30 PM

Other rider is apparently a family member, though they aren't releasing info on who. Brad didn't have any kids, so might have been a cousin or nephew. He is okay, from what I've heard. I am close friends with one of the journalists that wrote the article above.

There are a bunch of rumors floating around. One is that they came upon a sow with cubs. Another is that Brad actually hit the bear and that's how he got knocked off his bike, but I think they are probably just that - rumors.

**ghosthop** · 07-01-2016, 11:25 PM

my family came to visit and I thought it would be great to head to Glacier for a few days. We got into town the day of, Grandma has not been stoked.

My go to while riding in tight vegetation is the call and response in Minnie the Moocher

RIP Brad, acceptable risk or not doesn't ease a loss.

**lifelinksplit** · 07-02-2016, 12:07 AM

Echo all the above. We live in bear country and it is always funny coming up to a group of people after yelling retarded things for miles and miles.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 07-02-2016, 01:53 PM

Yeah, it's kinda embarrassing, but you gotta do it.

**Sirshredalot** · 07-02-2016, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

Yeah, it's kinda embarrassing, but you gotta do it.

I used to ride with a bear bell on my pack and spray in a bottle cage mount in addition to yelling.

Around here it's all big kitties, though ...

**babybear** · 07-02-2016, 05:34 PM

soo andrew just got home from a dig day and riding home he had a wee crash and hears a hiiiiissssssssss from his backpack and it's his bear spray that got punctured by a rock- doh
I just bathed him in milk

**BigDaddy** · 07-02-2016, 08:37 PM

Ouch. Tell him you know of a guy who was hiking, had it in his pocket, then bent down for a drink of water...

Saftey was off and no milk within hours.

**jamal** · 07-02-2016, 10:15 PM

When i ride with bear spray i keep it in a bottle cage. Cut the top of a water bottle off and a can of bear spray can fit pretty well.

I had an angry mama bear charge me right off the rattlesnake main corridor not too long ago. Luckily it stopped when i yelled, and i had downhill momentum, so i just kept rolling.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 07-02-2016, 11:28 PM

I don't see it doing much in a pack.

**babybear** · 07-03-2016, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

I don't see it doing much in a pack.

thanks sherlock

he has it on the outside of the pack in a short side pocket and a strap around the top so it's easily accessible as a sort of holster

I picked him up one of those scat belts last summer but his pack set up seemed pretty solid until the random crash onto it yesterday.
I have to admit I was lol'ing as he told me the story

Originally Posted by BigDaddy

Ouch. Tell him you know of a guy who was hiking, had it in his pocket, then bent down for a drink of water...

Saftey was off and no milk within hours.

dang! hoping it wasn't a spray to the face- yikes

He just had a little redness on his side/back but was all good by bedtime so the milk seemed to work pretty well.

first incident ever and we usually carry all summer so guess it'll be a funny story to tell

Jamal- yea our LBS also had some bear spray sized cages for the bikes which I might pick up for myself but I think this incident was just a fluke and/or bound to happen at some pt given how much he rides with the can

**BigDaddy** · 07-03-2016, 09:16 AM

I wish it was the face...

Let's just say my screams are probably still echoing around Glacier from exactly 20 years ago.

**Vt-Freeheel** · 07-04-2016, 05:53 PM

#bigdsprayshisjunk

**sethschmautz** · 07-07-2016, 03:55 PM

Not much new info has come to light to my knowledge, other than confirmation that Brad hit the bear. Still not sure whether it has been confirmed if it was a Grizzly or Black Bear. Memorial Service was today.

http://flatheadbeacon.com/2016/07/07...orial-service/