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Welcome back to Scary Bear Attacks! Today’s episode takes us to Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming. The park is located only about 130 miles to the south of Yellowstone National Park and rivals it with its beauty and wildlife. Elevation in the park starts at 6320 feet in Jackson Hole and stretches to 13,770 feet at the park's highest point, Grand Teton. The barren granite peaks give way to thick forests of pine, fir, and spruce trees with Quaking Aspen groves dominating in pockets across the valleys.
Near Jackson Lake is a trail system that travels eastward to Emma Matilda Lake and Two Ocean Lake. The Emma Matilda Lake Trail encircles Emma Matilda Lake in a loop that runs almost twelve miles. It wanders through meadows and trees as cool breezes waft off the lake to refresh visitors as they hike. Stands of Buffalo Berries offer a tasty treat to passersby and sustain the wildlife in their season. Common animals in this area include Elk, Moose and Mule Deer. Predators in this area include black bears, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, and wolves, but the most powerful are the massive grizzly bears that frequent the trails.
During the second week of August 1994, 36 year old Michael and Linda Dunn were camping with their three children at the Colter Bay Campground along Jackson Lake. Their family had a standing vacation spent at the lake each year and enjoyed the time together each summer.
Michael was thin but athletic, standing 6 feet in height and weighing a healthy 165 pounds. He was a scout leader back in their hometown of Park City, Utah and had even completed bear attack training with his pack of scouts. Michael was a successful senior writer at Fotherington & Associates eventually landing the same position with Bonneville Communications. His life was centered around serving his community and took pride in his campaigns for a major league baseball team as well as the Salvation Army.
Michael and Linda were not only life partners, they were running partners. Together they had completed 50 marathons combined including several ultra-marathons. They valued the lessons running instilled in them, teaching their kids that they could still find joy while doing difficult things. They had even completed an IronMan race together. On this particular day, Michael wanted to go on a longer run and Linda agreed to stay behind with the kids.
As Michael prepared for his early morning run on August 14th, he had a sense of doom wash over him. He knew it was something he would have to work through and hit the trail before sunup Falling into an easy pace, his mind began reflecting on lessons he found valuable. As a member of the Latter Day Saint church he felt running in the mountains helped him clear his mind and meditate. He used his solitary time running to pray and seek direction from God.
As he bounced along the trail he reflected on the prior day's run. That morning had been moistened by the dew and as he entered a meadow he decided it would be a beautiful place for his morning prayers. Inspired by the sunlight breaking across the cloud shrouded peaks, he knelt down and prayed aloud a prayer of gratitude when two words popped into his mind. Play dead. The meaning of these words were confusing to him that morning, but would be very important this morning.
Only a few hundred yards into his run, Michael noticed a strange bush near the trail. Around the base of this bush were several Buffalo Berries that had been dislodged from their stems. The tiny tomato-like fruits led Michael’s eyes to the indelible impression of a very large grizzly bear track deeply embedded into the dirt near the bush.
Perhaps out of nervous relief but definitely as a precaution, Michael decided he would start singing out loud as he ran. He didn’t pack a firearm nor did he pack bear spray on any of his runs.
Around two miles into his run, Michael’s nerves began to settle down, and he quit singing out loud. As he rounded a bend in the trail he was discombobulated by a loud deep rumble just off the trail a few yards from him. At first, he thought a boulder was rolling down the slope but turned around to see a huge grizzly sow bellowing at him from only 15 yards away.
He stared at her as events unfolded in slow motion in his mind. He could see the muscles in the hump on her shoulders ripple as she blew through every limb and bush between them. Popping and cracking sounded as she growled a thundering road as she bore down on him.