A Walk in the Woods: Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

On July 5, 1983, group of campers set up their tents by Lake Canimina in Quebec. They cooked hamburgers and suspended their food from a tree, out of reach from bears. That night, however, a bear came and ripped the bag down. A few hours later, the bear returned. Bryson imagines being in a tent, hearing growls and clatters outside, and suddenly realizing that he’s got candy in his tent, knowing the bear can smell it. That night, 12-year-old David Anderson was in his tent when a giant claw ripped through the fabric, grabbed onto him, and dragged him into the woods. By the time the group found David, he was dead.  

Imagine, says Bryson, reading a book full of similar accounts right before you take a camping trip alone in the wild. Bryson spends many sleepless nights imagining all the small mistakes he could make that will attract a bear, such as using aromatic gel or forgetting a candy bar in his pocket. In truth, it’s highly unlikely to encounter a bear on the Appalachian Trail. The grizzly bear is more common in the western states, but it’s still terrifying—not even arrows or bullets will stop it. Bryson reads about a professional hunter named Alexei Pitka, who shot a grizzly down and approached the bear, at which point the bear sprang up and grabbed his head between its jaws. Luckily, Pitka survived.

Bryson knows he’s far more likely to cross paths with a black bear, and they rarely attack—there were only 20 fatal attacks between 1900 and 1980. Most attacks just result in “light bites,” but this information alone is enough to terrify Bryson. In Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, author Stephen Herrero writes that upon encountering a grizzly, one should back away slowly and climb a tree, but never run. Bryson thinks that this is easy to say when you’re writing a book, but when you’re in the woods, chances are pretty high you’re going to panic and run. For black bears, the opposite advice applies: make a lot of noise and run toward it. Bryson can’t imagine himself ever running toward a bear either.

Bryson thinks about other stories from Herrero’s book, and he realizes that bears are unpredictable, and “nobody can tell you what to do,” which doesn’t reassure him at all. For months he lays awake at night, imagining himself hearing one outside his tent. Bryson also imagines the dangers of being alone while something bad happens. His organs could burst. He might fall off a ledge. He might get a concussion or drown in a puddle. Thinking it wiser to have company, he invites lots of people to join him on his trip. Only one person responds: Stephen Katz, an old friend he hasn’t seen for years.  Bryson is thrilled: he won’t have to be all alone in the wilderness.

Bryson and Katz catch up over the phone and make plans to meet the next week. Bryson forgets to ask why Katz wants to come along, but he doesn’t care—he’s just happy to have company. Bryson’s wife is less enthused. She wonders why Bryson’s going on a long trip with someone who always got on his nerves. Bryson denies this, saying that they have lots in common, but Bryson’s wife thinks it’s going to be a disaster. Bryson sheepishly agrees.  

A week later, Katz arrives. Bryson tries to remember the last time they saw each other; he recalls that Katz was a bit of a party animal before becoming sober. Bryson notices that Katz is a lot larger than he remembers, and he’s limping and wheezing a little. Immediately, Katz says that he’s starving and explains that he gets seizures if he doesn’t eat every hour or so. A worried Bryson explains that there are no restaurants on the Trail, but Katz opens his bag to reveal that it’s full of candy bars. 

Bryson and Katz stop by Dunkin Donuts on the way home; Katz scarfs down five donuts and goes to lie down. Bryson’s wife just gives Bryson a look. The next day, Bryson and Katz go shopping for camping supplies, but Katz mostly buys a lot of food until Bryson reminds him that he can’t carry that much. They go home to pack, but Katz just lays around listening to music. The next morning, Katz emerges, lugging his pack with things tied messily all over it. On the way to the airport, Katz eats lots of donuts. The man at the check-in desk warns them about wolves on the Trail, and Bryson wants to cry. Katz seems gloomy because he knows that they won’t serve food on the plane.