Sandpoint teacher fends off wolf on Point to Bay ride

SANDPOINT — Mac Hollan knew there would be challenges during his 2,750-mile bike trip to Alaska, but nothing could have prepared him for last weekend.

A rider on the Point to Bay fundraiser, the Sandpoint teacher had enjoyed himself since he and his friends set out June 17. That tranquility was upended by a harrowing wolf attack Saturday on the Alaska Highway in the Yukon — an experience Hollan marks as the most terrifying of his life.

“Right now, it makes a great story,” he said. “But at the time, it was definitely something I could have done without.”

The incident occurred around 2 to 3 p.m. when Hollan riding alone, waiting for his friends to repair a bike rack. He anticipated that the two would soon catch up with him, but when he felt a presence approaching him from behind and looked to see what it was, he found a creature decidedly less friendly.

“The first thought that went through my mind was: that is the biggest dog I have ever seen,” he said.

That “dog” was in actuality a hungry gray wolf, a fact that became readily apparent when it snapped at Hollan’s foot. Adrenaline coursed through Hollan’s veins as he shifted into high gear and whipped out some bear spray given to him by a trip sponsor, Kalispell business Counter Assault. The spray turned out to be a godsend.

“Not to go full-on infomercial here, but it turns out the spray is really easy to use for a guy pedaling really fast on a bike,” Hollan said.

Sure enough, a blast of bear spray full in the face slowed the wolf down. It paused in pain for about 20 seconds but regained lost ground in no time, attacking the panniers on Hollan’s bike and spilling his tent poles onto the highway.

“I’m pretty sure he thought the bike and I were one animal,” he said.

Another shot of bear spray staggered the wolf, but just like last time, it was back on Hollan almost instantly. At that point, Hollan heard the sound of a truck and soon spotted an 18-wheeler rounding the corner. He screamed and waved for the driver’s attention. The truck slowed down.

Hollan’s relief was premature — the truck accelerated and sped away. Another car soon approached, but this driver was no good Samaritan, either. A total of four vehicles passed him by before the crisis was over.

As he maintained his desperate speed down the highway, Hollan found himself acting almost entirely on instinct and adrenaline. A small portion of his brain observed his situation with detached fascination, he said.

“I was hearing myself screaming, and I thought, ‘Wow, that sounds horrible,’” he said.

The situation only became worse when a steep hill appeared before him. Hollan’s only hope was to dismount, keep the bike between him and the wolf and use what bear spray he had left to fend it off.

“At this point, I realized I might not be going home, and I began to panic at the thought of how much this was going to hurt,” he later wrote in a Facebook post.  

The hill was rapidly approaching when Hollan saw one last hope: an RV approaching from behind. The bicyclist positioned himself in the center of the road and screamed for help. This time, a kind soul was at the wheel. The vehicle flew past him and screeched to a halt.

Hollan immediately vaulted over his handlebars, bear spray still in hand, and sprinted toward the RV. Just in time, the door opened, and he raced inside. He was finally safe.

“I hope ... they know how much I am in their debt and how grateful I am that they stopped to save me,” he said.

Meanwhile, the wolf gloated over the discarded bike like it was a fresh kill. It took a rock-throwing passerby to drive the creature away from the scene.

It took a few minutes for the adrenaline to wear off, but once it did, Hollan found himself nauseous and shaking uncontrollably. Once he parted ways with his rescuers and rejoined his friends, he found a moment to let the tension go.

“Basically, I just sat in a creek and cried,” he said.

Now that the terror has passed, Hollan hopes his close encounter will bring more attention to the Sandpoint Backpack Program, which the Point to Bay tour is supporting by collecting donations. Residents can assist the cause by contributing at www.pointtobay.com. All donations go to help feed hungry children.

As for Hollan, he and his friends are already joking about the incident. They’re ahead of schedule in the journey toward Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and expect to be back home by Aug. 2. He’s a little warier than he once was, but he remains committed to finishing his trip.

“More than anything, I’m just happy that when this was all over, the thought of going home early never crossed my mind,” Hollan said.