Bears, both black and grizzly, are a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that extends from western Wyoming to eastern Idaho and southwestern Montana. Grizzly bears are most commonly found in Yellowstone National Park and the northern reaches of Grand Teton National Park. The areas in which we backpack lie further south, where black bears are seen but grizzlies are rarely sighted. Because we hike and camp in bear habitat, we take all of the necessary precautions: we hang our food out of the bears’ reach, we never eat or cook where we sleep, we keep a clean camp, we always make noise on the trail so not to startle a bear and we carry pepper spray in the event of an interaction.
