Lost Alaskan hiker charged at by bears found after two days

Fina

Kiefer, a

Palmer

resident and an avid hiker who was chased by

bears

off the Pioneer Ridge

Trail

has returned home safely after two days.

The 55-year-old was hiking on the 13.6-mile Pioneer Trail when she ran into some bears charging at her.

Kiefer made it to the top of the Trail, which was her goal, but had started late so knew she had to get back to the parking lot in time.

As reported by Alaska News Source, Kiefer said, "I didn’t realize how vigorous the trail was until I was actually on the trail." She further said the second mistake she made was getting off the trail in an attempt to get out faster.

"By the time I realized I wasn’t going to make it to the trailhead, the parking lot, the battery of my cell phone was dwindling," she said.

On the way down the trail, when she was in a valley, Fina encountered the bears, first thinking they were moose.

"Once he turned his head, and we both looked at each other, I knew it was a bear," she said. "We both looked at each other, and then at that very moment I had to make a decision."

The bears were blocking the main trail, the only way ina could get out.

"He’s charging me and he’s going (from) 50 yards to 25, and I have to turn around, and I stood my ground, grabbed my bear spray, and then ... I had to look at him while he’s charging at me. By the time he came about me, about 25 feet, that’s when I said ... I yelled ‘Hey!’ And then I spayed and then he stopped," explained Fina, as reported by Alaska News Source.

She then yelled at the bear with the bear spray deployed. The bear, along with a second one which was nearby, ran off.

Fina also found a creek which she used to keep herself hydrated. While getting through a bush, Fina also hurt her head after she fell. That night, she found a place to spend the night where she built a fire.

Steve

Kiefer, Fina’s husband said he had been in touch with Fina through the mobile phone on the evening of June 14, 2021. She assured him she was fine. At 1 am that night, Steve received a text from Fina informing him she had been charged by bears and was down to half a can of bear spray.

This led to Steve calling 911 to look for Fina, also since he hadn’t been able to establish contact with her anymore.

A search team was sent by the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and MAT+SAR Search & Rescue. The team looked for Fina through Tuesday and Wednesday, in the trail and via helicopters.

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Fina could see the helicopters looking for her but unfortunately wasn’t spotted by them. Even though she had lit a fire using her waterproof matchsticks, due to the dense forest around, the helicopters couldn’t see her.

She continued going down the hill and reached someone’s yard. She rang the doorbell and realised no one was home. She went out to the road and saw four vehicles passing.

Around 5:30 pm, Fina was found and rescued by Stephen Dunphy, a volunteer searcher.

Steve said Fina had been taken to the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and was discharged by evening itself. Friends and relatives also flew in to see Fina after the entire incident.


"It really makes you aware of what you have," Palmer hiker Fina Kiefer said. "I was fighting to see my family again. I was fighting to see my husband and my daughter and my son," Fina said.