MAN OR THE BEAR?

Hiking alone is a peaceful way to connect with nature and forget about real-world problems. But not for a girl hiking alone in the wilderness… As a girl, you always have to be cautious of your surroundings. Walking home in the city under the dim street lights, walking to your car at night after a long shift at work, and even hiking alone. This one saying has been trending on social media in recent years. “Man or the bear?” This question asks girls, would you rather be alone in the wilderness and stumble across a man or a bear? People go around interviewing different girls and asking this question, and the most popular answer is that they would rather be alone in the woods with a bear than a man. 

I recently had my own experience with this question. Two months ago, I was struggling mentally. Going to the gym wasn’t helping, distracting myself by going out and drinking with friends wasn’t helping, and all the naps weren’t helping, so I decided I just needed to touch some grass and reconnect with nature to breathe and stop thinking so much. I drove to the Shenandoah Valley by myself and found a 1.5-mile round-trip trail deep in the Shenandoah forest. I was ecstatic when I parked my car on the gravel parking lot that leads to the trailhead. I grabbed my phone and water and started my hike deep in the woods. At first, I was at peace with the world. I am alone with birds singing, the trees swaying in the wind, and the leaves rustling as I make it deeper and deeper into the forest. I saw a deer up ahead and decided to take out my phone to snap a picture of the outdoor beauty, but I realized I didn’t have service. This was when I started to panic and think about all the true crime podcasts I’ve listened to. What was I thinking? Hiking alone in the wilderness with no cellphone service? I was afraid I might end up like one of the unfortunate girls on a true crime podcast and decided to turn around 30 minutes into my hike because I started panicking. 

I hiked back to my car and saw a brief movement ahead. I got a little closer because my vision sucks, and I saw a man in his mid-thirties-early forties. I was cautious because I hadn’t seen anyone on my hike and was in the middle of nowhere with no cellphone reception. He was walking slowly, so I hid behind a tree and observed his mannerisms. I wanted to avoid passing him on a narrow trail if he seemed creepy. I noticed he had a cane and a limp to his walk, and I decided he wouldn’t be much of a threat to me. So I decided to push away my fears, and I walked past him, and he nodded at me and looked me up and down. I nodded back at him and walked faster to my car. I finally made it to my car and locked the doors. 

After experiencing this question firsthand, I chose the bear. I didn’t think so much fear would overcome me when I spotted a man in the woods with me alone. After hearing similar stories from other women who have experienced this firsthand, I get why they would choose the bear over the man. Besides, Virginia only has black bears, so I don’t have to worry about Grizzly’s!