It felt like it took an agonizingly long time for Penny to free the can of bear spray from the holster at her waist, but in reality, it was probably only two or three seconds.

They were still the two or three most terrifying, heart-pounding seconds of her life. And that included that brief moment earlier in the day when she thought she might plummet to her death. The thought of getting eaten alive by a grizzly was a lot more horrific.

Finally, though, she managed to ...