![\"Black](\"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/trinity-alps-bear-attack-california.jpg\")
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Normally, you don\u2019t have to be very concerned about a black bear attacking you. Black bears shy away from humans, and they\u2019ll usually run or at least shamble away as soon as they notice you, especially in the Trinity Alps where they are not as acclimated to human presence as bears elsewhere are, such as in Yosemite National Park.<\/p>\n
However, that doesn\u2019t mean bear attacks don\u2019t occur. Ken DeCamp’s story\u2026<\/p>\n
Prior to the Bear Attack: Hiking a Remote Trinity Alps Trail<\/h2>\n
Nobody wakes up on a Saturday morning thinking \u201cthis is the day I might not survive — that I might never see home or family again.\u201d\u00a0 In all my years, it\u2019s a thought that has never crossed my mind: not even a whisper of \u201cmaybe — it could be.\u201d We go about our business as if we are immune from the dangers that surround us, never giving survival a second thought — until in an instant we find ourselves entirely at the mercy of things totally out of our control.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, August 15th 2020, I found myself in one of those situations. Fortunately, all the stars lined up for me on that day and I can honestly say I am VERY happy to be sitting here relaying my story from the relative comfort of my studio.<\/p>\n
Best Day Hiking Trails in Upper California<\/h4>\n
Includes trailhead directions and detailed maps and trail descriptions<\/p>\n Buy it:<\/strong> on Amazon<\/a> | on Bookshop.org<\/a> So, on that Saturday morning, I stuffed everything I\u2019d need for the day in my day pack, grabbed my camera gear, said my goodbyes and headed for the East Fork Lakes Trailhead in the Trinity Alps<\/a>, which is located in the Canyon Creek Lakes drainage<\/a>. My aim was to re-visit this pretty and somewhat isolated basin, maybe find some new wildflowers to photograph, and then spend some time documenting a beautiful relict population of quaking aspen found not too far below the lakes.<\/p>\n The East Fork Lakes Trail is not for the faint of heart. Most casual hikers avoid it because, after leaving the trailhead, it quickly turns straight uphill and remains steep for a couple of miles until it breaks out into the country around Buck\u2019s Ranch and then flattens out a bit in the area below East Fork Lakes.<\/p>\n At 10:30 a.m. it was already 97\u00b0. I was hot and thirsty, so I stopped on the far side of the last creek crossing below East Fork Lakes. I dropped my pack and camera in the shade of some willows, grabbed my water bottle, and then stepped down to the edge of the creek to fill it with cold water. I took a long drink, re-filled my bottle, replaced the cap, and stepped back up onto the bank next to my pack. I put the bottle back into the side pocket, hoisted the pack onto my back, and then stooped down to grab my camera.<\/p>\n It was at this point that, in an instant, my day came crashing down around me. As I turned to start back up the trail, I found myself face to face with a juvenile black bear. It was a shock to me and I believe the same for the bear.<\/p>\n In the moment it took for the bear to react and take a swipe at me, all I remember is that I ducked. A paw caught me above my left eye: a claw ripping down through my forehead and eyelid. The force of the blow spun me around and threw me down into the creek head first. I vaguely remember the blow as my head hit the rocks. I was knocked unconscious.<\/p>\n I am not entirely sure how long I laid there in the creek — maybe 10 or 15 minutes. But when I finally came to, I found myself almost entirely in the water where it was actually washing over my eye and part of my mouth. Two inches lower and I could have drowned.<\/p>\n At first, as I struggled to sit up, nothing registered except the pain in my head and all the blood pouring from the wound. I also had a major concussion, which made it hard to come to grips with the seriousness of the situation.<\/p>\n When I was finally able to gather myself together, I crawled out of the creek and up the bank on my hands and knees, soaking wet, my left eye bleeding profusely and my head pounding. Survival mode set in and all I could think about was trying to staunch the bleeding and get on my feet so I could get back to my truck.<\/p>\n I pulled a handkerchief out of my camera bag and held it to my eye and started back down the trail. Even with the handkerchief and pressure, I could not stop the flow of blood, which had me very concerned because I am on blood thinners.<\/p>\n Once on the downhill side of the creek, I saw signs that the bear had walked right over me and headed down the trail for about 20 yards before moving down into the brush along the creek. It dawned on me that the bear hadn\u2019t even messed with me while I was out, and to this day I consider myself very lucky that it wasn\u2019t hungry!<\/p>\n With my limited vision I struggled to follow the East Fork Lakes Trail back to Buck\u2019s Ranch. It was extremely difficult and at about this time my headache grew significantly worse and I began to get very dehydrated. I stopped long enough to drop my pack and dig out my water bottle. I drank maybe 1\/4 of the water, slung my pack back up and continued on.<\/p>\n It was only about ten minutes later that tremendous waves of nausea overtook me and I had to sit down. I remained seated for a few minutes and then it hit me. I threw up until I experienced nothing but dry heaves.<\/p>\n I sat there for several minutes trying to stop the blood flow and regain a little composure before I stood up and started walking again. Just past Buck\u2019s Ranch the trail disappeared into the trees and deep shade. It was at this point that I lost the path because I just couldn\u2019t see through all the blood and sweat. Everything was swimming before me, even in my good eye.<\/p>\n It is fortunate that I know this part of the Trinity Alps so well because, even with the condition I was in, I knew how to get back to my truck, trail or no trail. Since I couldn\u2019t see very well and had lost the trail, I knew I had to take the route of least resistance, which meant sliding on my back side down the steepest parts of the ridge through any opening I could find, all the while fighting nausea and a severe concussion headache.<\/p>\n It took me almost six hours to get back down to the road. By that time, I was beyond exhausted and very sick. At one point I laid down at the edge of the road and nodded in and out of sleep for about half an hour before I finally got up and started up the road to my truck.<\/p>\n Over and over again I could walk only 25 or 50 yards before the headache and nausea overtook me and I would have to rest. I don\u2019t know how many times I had to throw up on the way out, but it was at least several dozen. It took me over an hour to walk the quarter-mile to my truck.<\/p>\n In my state of mind all I could think about was getting to a hospital before it became impossible for me to keep moving. I set my sights on Mercy Hospital in Redding<\/a> and after about two hours finally made it to the emergency room parking lot. I got out of my truck, began walking towards the entrance, and pretty much collapsed.<\/p>\n Excellent emergency room doctors and nurses took me in immediately and for three days initially and several days afterwards took excellent care of me. They stitched up my wound, settled the pain to manageable levels, and monitored me closely.<\/p>\n The alpine lakes and jagged peaks of the Trinity Alps Wilderness rival the scenery of the High Sierra, without the crowds. This new highly detailed map is perfect for your next backpacking trip or day hike:<\/strong><\/p>\n Buy it online from: Green Trails Maps<\/a> | <\/strong>Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Often available at outdoor stores and bookstores<\/strong> (call first!)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It is now almost five months later and I am still dealing with slight vision problems in my left eye. I\u2019ve been fitted with new scleral contact lenses that have helped immensely, and I\u2019m doing recommended eye exercises designed to alleviate my problems with depth perception.<\/p>\n All-in-all, things are pretty much back to normal. I count myself very fortunate and I can deal with the vision problems.\u00a0 In the end I survived, and that is what really matters.<\/p>\n There is no way to prepare properly for the possibility of something like a bear attack happening to any of us, but what it all boils down to something my Dad told me many years ago: \u201cYou do what you have to do — no matter what the situation — because you ALWAYS have to come home.\u201d<\/p>\n An experience like this won\u2019t keep me from returning to my backcountry adventures, in the Trinity Alps or anywhere else. Life is too short and there is too much to experience to ever be fearful of something like this happening again.<\/p>\n If there is a lesson to be learned it is this:<\/strong><\/p>\n Always be aware of your surroundings and never take your safety for granted.<\/strong><\/p>\n Things are going pretty well these days but, because of the bear attack, my vision is still problematic and not going to get any better. Walking over rough ground is a bit more difficult now as my left eye takes a bit of time to catch up with my right when trying to focus. I am getting better at navigating on the trails, but forward progress is quite a bit slower than it was before the attack as I have to be very careful about how and where I step because my sense of balance is affected.<\/p>\n When I fell during the attack I damaged my left knee and right shoulder, resulting in surgery to the knee and upcoming surgery to the shoulder. I underwent physical therapy to try and alleviate some of the shoulder problems, but in the end, while it helped somewhat, surgery has become the only real option. I can no longer run or do the gnarly mountain bike rides I use to enjoy (largely because of the vision issue) but I am thankful I can still hike and backpack, albeit very slowly.<\/p>\n My shoulder surgery is slated to be done this spring, which might put a crimp in backpacking until mid-summer. This might affect my ability to do my photography for a few months, which in turn may or may not put a temporary hold on gathering new wildflower images for a third edition of my book<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the old thing about the leg bone attached to the knee bone, attached to the\u2026 you get the idea. I have to say, it is frustrating to be faced with all this after a lifetime of being very active. I do consider myself lucky, though, to have survived and, even with limited physical ability, to still be able to do some of the things I have always enjoyed.<\/p>\n By the way, another man was attacked by a bear in the same area this past fall and his injuries looked an awful lot like mine. This was covered in the Trinity Journal<\/a>. Same bear? I wonder!<\/p>\n Switzerland was a real test of my abilities to get out into the mountains and navigate some of the more difficult trails, but even at that it was a great experience. This was my 4th trip to the Diemtigtal<\/a> and I am looking forward to more!<\/p>\n Read this excellent article about bear behavior<\/a> and how you can minimize your chances of being attacked.<\/p>\n Buy it on Amazon<\/a>![\"Day](\"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/day-hiking-shasta-lassen-trinity-trails-300-214x300.jpg\")
<\/a>My<\/strong> compact guidebook has the 125 best day hikes:
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\nOften available at bookstores<\/strong> and outdoor stores <\/strong>(call first!)<\/p>\n<\/div>\nEast Fork Lakes Trail: Where the Bear Attack Happened<\/h2>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/trinity-alps-east-fork-trail-canyon-creek.jpg\")
The Bear Attacks<\/h2>\n
Bear Attack: Immediate Aftermath<\/h2>\n
Getting Back to the Truck<\/h2>\n
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Getting Medical Attention<\/h2>\n
Explore the Wild and Rugged Trinity Alps With This New Map!<\/h4>\n
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Long-Term Effects of the Bear Attack<\/h2>\n
![\"Ken](\"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/trinity-alps-black-bear-attack-victim-1024x682.jpg\")
Bear Attack: Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
2023 Update from Ken: Two and a Half Years After the Bear Attack<\/h2>\n
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About Ken DeCamp<\/h2>\n
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Ken DeCamp had a 38-year career in Fire, Land Management Planning, and Public Affairs with the USDA Forest Service. He\u2019s the author of Wildflowers of the Trinity Alps: Including the Marble Mountain Wilderness, Russian Wilderness & Trinity Divide<\/em>, which is available at select bookstores in Northern California and Southern Oregon. You can also order directly from Backcountry Press<\/a>, or you can buy it on Amazon<\/a>. Read my interview with Ken about his book<\/a>.<\/p>\nBear Behavior and You<\/h2>\n
Camp for Free in California National Forests<\/h4>\n
![\"Camp](\"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/dispersed-camping-boondocking-camp-free-300.jpg\")
California’s national forests and BLM lands have thousands of miles of dirt roads with lots of spots for dispersed camping (boondocking).<\/strong> My book provides all the info you need to get started (but is not a guide to specific sites):<\/p>\n\n
\nBuy it on Apple, Kobo, and Nook<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nSubscribe to the Northern California Hiking Trails Blog<\/h2>\n