The Bear That Never Came...How We Survived a Camping Nightmare

"Get out, get out, NOW!"

Thom shouted, his voice cutting through the night.

I immediately heard a strange hissing sound, and my heart sank. My first thought? The air mattress. That glorious air mattress is my lifeline to comfort on the hard floor of our popup tent atop our trusty Tacoma truck. I couldn't lose it.

But within seconds, I realized it wasn’t the air mattress deflating. A dense, white cloud began to fill the tent, suffocating the space where, just moments ago, I felt safe.

There wasn’t a moment to think...

We were camping at Burnside Lake in Toiyabe National Forest, just south of Lake Tahoe. 

The lake shimmered under the early evening sun, a hidden sanctuary wrapped in the stillness of the wilderness.

After setting up camp, we decided to hike the nearby trail, which led to massive boulders overlooking the lake, giving us a 360-degree panoramic view. The sunset painted the landscape in gold, and the air was crisp and clean.

For a moment, life felt perfect

By the time we returned to camp, the sun had almost set, and darkness was settling in. We had a quick snack, and I turned to Thom and said, "Can you put the crackers and nuts from the front of the truck into the bear container?"

I knew we were deep in bear country now, and even though we’re more used to camping out in the desert where bears aren’t a concern...here it was a whole different story. I always feel a little on edge knowing bears could be around. But I remind myself that we’re safe in our rooftop tent—no food ever goes up there, and of course, we always keep the bear spray close... just in case.

Despite it being only 8 p.m., we climbed into our cozy rooftop tent, ready to drift off to sleep with the sounds of nature.

And then...Whizzz. Hissss.

Without warning, everything changed

The bear spray went rogue. The safety catch had somehow come undone, and as Thom shifted to get comfortable, his elbow triggered the spray. The pepper spray began filling our little tent with a suffocating fog.

Time seemed to crawl like everything was happening in slow motion...my thoughts, my movements, all unfolding at a snail’s pace.

Since Thom was closest to the ladder, he scrambled out first so I could follow. It wasn’t graceful.

We were both panicked, trying to breathe, trying to see, trying to escape

Every breath burned our lungs, and I felt like I was on fire from the inside out. Once we made it out of the tent, we started coughing uncontrollably, gasping for air. My throat felt like it had been scorched.

Slowly, painfully, the coughing subsided, and I could finally breathe again.

Then Thom turned to me and said, "We can’t sleep in the tent tonight. Let’s go home; it's only two hours away."
He was right...it wasn’t safe to sleep in a tent filled with bear spray.

We packed up our gear under the beam of our headlamps, threw everything into the truck, and made our way back home.

As the truck hummed along the dark roads, I couldn’t help but replay the events in my mind.

What if we had gotten bear spray in our eyes? What would we have done? There was no running water, and we would've been stumbling around with eyes on fire. 

What if there had been a bear?

What if the truck wouldn’t start?

WHAT IF?

My mind spiraled through all the "what if" scenarios, as my brain tends to do after something frightening happens.
But none of the what-ifs happened.

On the ride home, Thom and I talked about other moments on our travels together that we had experienced that were scary and out of left field.

Like the time the tent came off the top of the truck! You can read about that adventure HERE.

Another time we were in an impossible situation where the roads were washed out and we struggled getting back to safety.

Or the time we were in Vanuatu and our backpack was stolen with an expensive camera inside and my purse. We were out in the middle of nowhere on a tropical island.  

You can read about this adventure HERE.

We made it home safely

And despite my lingering nausea and the shock of the night, I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

The next day, Thom spent all day cleaning the tent and getting rid of the bear spray smell. 

Let’s face it—things don’t always go according to plan. But when life throws you curveballs, there are ways to stay grounded and keep moving forward.

Here are my tips when things go sideways

1. Stay Calm and Grounded

In moments of chaos, your first instinct might be to panic, but take a deep breath and remind yourself that you can handle whatever comes your way. Staying calm is the first step to regaining control of the situation.

2. Focus on Gratitude Over Blame

It's easy to get caught up in blaming circumstances or even yourself when things go wrong. But instead of asking, "Why me?" try shifting your focus to what you can be grateful for.

We didn’t encounter a bear that night, and although we had to leave, we got home safely. Gratitude opens the door to peace in the midst of uncertainty.

3. Flip the Script on Your "What Ifs"

Our minds love to run wild with negative possibilities...what if this happens, or what if that goes wrong?

But what if you flipped those thoughts around?

What if things turn out better than expected? What if this is an opportunity for growth?

Positive "what ifs" are as powerful as negative ones, and they can shift your entire mindset.

Over to You

What do you do when things go sideways? How have you handled unexpected situations in your life? I’d love to hear your stories and insights. Email me at [email protected]. Let’s keep this conversation going and support each other in navigating the twists and turns of life.

You are always stronger than you think, even when life surprises you

My blogposts on handling life’s unexpected changes:

How to Handle Unexpected Changes

When things go sideways...an adventure on a tropical island

Becoming a widow: My well-being journey during life changes