Alaska one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited! Blessed enough to go twice. It was there I learned a great survival tip!
(Always keep duct tape in your backpack.)
While on a hiking excursion to the Mendenhall glacier. We had been hiking and enjoying the fresh crisp air and drizzling rain about an hour or so into our journey when my boot began to fall apart. We had made it to a crossing point where we were going to have to cross some water to get to the glacier with every step I took my boot continued to fall apart. I told my husband my foot will end up wet and frozen if I continue to hike and run the risk of not making it back or having to take my boot completely off.
We had passed a ranger station a couple of miles back so he told me to “stay put & he would go back to the ranger station and see if they have anything even a sock or plastic bag to put over my boot” at that point anything would be better than my foot getting any more wet & colder than it already was.
Other people were hiking, passers by asking was I ok? As I’m waiting patiently let me be real!! I was praying the entire time please Lord don’t let me get eaten by a bear!
Waiting and waiting on help while you’re in the woods can seem like a lifetime. I couldn’t shake the feeling to be very cautious so as I continued to look around I noticed partially eaten fish and bones laying around. I looked up and two black bears were sleeping in the tree I was standing underneath. I think I probably said out loud “oh my Jesus!” trying not to take off running!! Thank God they had their belly’s full from the salmon feast they apparently just had and sleeping comfortably! I slowly and quietly started backing up the hill heading toward the ranger station. When he came running with a roll of silver duct tape! We taped up my boot and finished our hike. I felt like an astronaut No doubt but I live to tell about my experience being left alone in Alaska with no weapon, no bear spray with two bears sleeping in the tree I had chosen to stand under a story I now look back on and laugh at, lesson learned I now carry duck tape in my pack.