http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/Grizzly_Attack.ht...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A 14-year-old girl riding in a mountain bike race was attacked in the dark of night by a bear Sunday and severely injured, but she was able to make a brief 911 call that eventually resulted in her rescue.
And another reason to always wear a helmet:
Sinnott went to the scene and posted warning signs, and said the girl was fortunate to be wearing a bike helmet because the bear had bitten her head.
Hopefully FM.27.08 will be routed around possible bear attack areas- stay away from the zoo!
more
more here:
http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/450061.html
(notice that the local news website has a top level "/bearattacks/" directory. a bit unnerving.)
I rode Rover's Run and Gasline Trail last summer while in Anchorage (unwisely alone). It is definitely a different experience than riding Blankets Creek. And I don't just mean the terrain. The risk of encountering dangerous wildlife was always on my mind.
Though I carried bear spray attached to my CamelBak's shoulder strap like a grenade, I wonder how effectively I could have pulled the pin and aimed it in the face of a charging grizzly. Or if I would've even seen it coming.
local response
"It's not going to stop me from going out of the house and enjoying the short summer," said local biker resident
Yes!
The bears depend upon this kind of attitude during the summer so they can fatten up for the winter!