Hiker follow by black bear on Escarpment Trail

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Village of Catskill in Greene County

Bear Encounter: On Aug.4 at 5:10 p.m., Greene County Dispatch called Forest Ranger Clute about a backpacker being followed by a bear near North Point in the Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness. Ranger Clute made contact with the 23-year-old from Canada to confirm her location. The backpacker indicated she tried to frighten the bear, but the bear kept following. The subject dropped her bag and continued up the trail to call for help. Ranger Clute reached the subject at 5:40 p.m. Less than an hour later, Ranger Clute located the bear and scared it away from the subject's backpack. The backpacker then hiked back down the trail and secured a campsite for the night. Ranger Clute maintained a visual on the bear to ensure the animal didn't start following the hiker once more. Resources were clear at 9:45 p.m.