By T. Scott Boatright
Adventuring is nothing new for Ruston’s Sandra Newman Dyson, who recently returned home after taking a hiking trip to Glacier National Park in Montana.
A veteran of scores of hikes across the country and around the world — Dyson even has an adventure planned for next year in the Great Pyrenees of France — it wasn’t until her recent trip that she had to consider the “bear” necessities needed for such an adventure.
Even more concerning was the fact that she found herself without those “bear” necessities when she needed them most.
Dyson, who will celebrate her birthday next month, was joined, as always on her hiking adventure, by friends Susan Tripp, Babs Barham and Sonja Cardwell.
“I was in Idaho, where I go often,” Dyson said. “So, as planned, they traveled to Idaho and met me, and then we all traveled together to Montana and stayed at a hotel there to prepare for our hikes. We had several different hikes planned of various lengths.”
It was on one of those hikes that Dyson found herself concerned about the importance of those “bear” necessities.
“We were on a hike, and when we’re on an adventure like that, we usually make sure to have bear spray with us just in case,” Dyson said. “We were a ways into our hike when I realized it was a tough hike and I was really feeling it, so I told the group I was going to turn around and head back to the hotel and let them finish the hike without me.”
On her journey back to the hotel, Dyson was walking along a trail surrounded by milkweed when she suddenly faced an encounter that reminded her of the importance of those “bear” necessities.
“I think Glacier National Park is the most beautiful national park in the United States,” Dyson said. “I had been there before, and it’s always an incredible experience. An exciting experience.”
This time, the hike probably became a little more exciting than Dyson was prepared for.
“So, I’m walking along and suddenly I encountered a huge grizzly bear,” Dyson said. “I rounded a corner and saw him walking the trail toward me. Then I suddenly realized I hadn’t taken any bear spray with me when I headed back alone to the hotel.
“I almost fainted, but knew not to run,” Dyson said. “I slowly backed up, keeping my eyes on him, until I got back around the corner where he couldn’t see me. Then I headed in the opposite direction as quickly as I could, hoping to find other hikers.”
Fortunately, Dyson found a family — also without bear spray — hiking along the trail and continued her trek back to the hotel with them.
But the excitement wasn’t over yet.
“It wasn’t five minutes before we saw another grizzly come out of the bushes, cross our hiking trail, then run directly into the water and swim to the other side,” Dyson said. “I had bear spray with me on all of our other hikes, but I didn’t think about taking any with me when I headed back to the hotel by myself. I was shaking up a storm by that point.”
Dyson and her Lincoln Parish hiking friends spent the next several days exploring more trails before returning to Ruston.
But that didn’t mean Dyson’s summer 2026 adventure was over.
“After they left, I met up with (Ruston friends) Diane and Wayne Hunter, and we rode the Centennial Trail around Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,” said Dyson, who is also a longtime marathon runner. “We put in many miles on our bikes and hiked many more miles on the beautiful trails in the area.
“My husband, Don, flew in for the last week,” Dyson said. “He played some golf and did some hiking with me, but he didn’t do any biking. No bike rides for him. While he golfed, I biked.”
For Dyson, it was all about being out in nature and spending time in a part of the country she considers majestic.
“It’s almost magically beautiful,” Dyson said. “It’s just one of the most special and beautiful places in the U.S., in my mind. But I’m already looking forward to next summer and hiking the Great Pyrenees.”
And hopefully she’ll remember the bear spray on that trip. The Great Pyrenees mountain range is home to several populations of brown bears as well as eagles and vultures.
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