Woman comes face to face with bear during hike in California

SIERRA MADRE, Calif. — A California lady’s standard hike led to an encounter with a bear she mentioned she’ll always remember.

Victoria Pham mentioned she was mountaineering alongside the Mount Wilson Climbing Path in Sierra Madre, one she does usually, when out of the blue, she heard commotion.

“I seen these hikers have been coming down, you understand, type of in a panic saying, ‘Oh my God! There’s an animal up there,’” mentioned Pham.

Nonetheless, this did not frighten Pham a lot and she or he calmly selected to proceed her hike. Instantly, she got here throughout a strolling bear.

“I seen this black bear coming down, and it was very calm and chill, simply trotting alongside down the path, and I seen there have been hikers above as nicely,” she mentioned. “So the bear was between me and the hikers.”

Pham’s mind informed her to stay calm. She mentioned she as soon as labored for the Yosemite Nationwide Park’s search and rescue workforce so she’s aware of these kind of encounters.

“Nicely, I am unable to outrun the bear and I am unable to actually go both manner off the path, so I am simply going to let this bear go,” she informed herself.

“This bear simply got here and had my telephone out and I simply let it go,” Pham continued. “He checked out me, and I checked out him and I used to be like, ‘Cool man!’”

Pham posted the video of her encounter on her Instagram web page.

The Nationwide Park Service says should you occur to come back throughout a bear, keep calm. Do not forget that most bears do not wish to assault you. Officers say they often simply wish to be left alone.