I Was Stalked by a Bear. Here’s What I Did Wrong

April 7, 2026

I tiptoed through the lodge as the rest of the tree planters were sleeping. It was my day off, and I needed to escape for one day, alone. I had just bought my first mountain bike, a sky-blue Trek 5000 and a ride through the remote Chilcotin Mountains in Lillooet, BC, would be its maiden voyage. As a fresh English degree graduate in my mid 20s in 1998, this was pre cell phones. But even if someone told me, I wouldn’t have left a note to say where I was going. I was much too stubborn. This is my j...

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Melanie Chambers

Writing about Haida tourism for the Globe and Mail's travel section kick started Melanie's career. Decades later, she's written stories for the likes of Outside Magazine, Air Canada, Canadian Geographical, The Toronto Star, Canadian Cycling Magazine and Mountain Life. She has conducted writing workshops around the globe, cycled Taiwan's epic KOM (over 3,000 metres), raced 900 kms through South Africa and more. When she’s not on the road, she is based in Rossland, BC, and teaches wanderlusting undergraduates online at Western University.