Mary's story is about a chance bear encounter in the Alaskan wilderness, involving some adrenaline, a barking dog, and a whole lot of appreciation for the beauty that can be found in a mother grizzly and her cubs.

Mary Emerick is an author and a wilderness planner with the Forest Service, but her real love is long distance hiking. She began her backpacking career at age 5, carrying a pack with a sweatshirt and a stuffed animal. Working as a seasonal wilderness ranger in Idaho and a wilderness kayak ranger in Alaska were highlights of her life. She has section hiked the entirety of the Pacific Crest Trail and a few sections of the Arizona Trail. She enjoys meeting other women on the trail and would prefer never to answer the question, "are you alone out here?" again.

Guest Links- Mary's author page- http://maryemerick.com

Mary's Personal blog- http://mountainsskin.blogspot.com/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Mary-Emerick-Author-751689821631076

Connect with Anna, aka Mud Butt, at [email protected]

You can find the Trail Dames at: Our website: https://www.traildames.com

The Summit: https://www.traildamessummit.com

The Trail Dames Foundation: https://www.tdcharitablefoundation.org

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/traildames/

Hiking Radio Network: https://hikingradionetwork.com/

Hiking Radio Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hikingradionetwork/

Music provided for this Podcast by The Burns Sisters "Dance Upon This Earth" https://www.theburnssisters.com