A number of Glacier Nationwide Park Trails Closed Following Hikers’ Bear Encounter — What to Know

A number of mountaineering trails at Glacier Nationwide Park have been closed following a bunch’s current encounter with a bear.

Based on a launch shared the Nationwide Parks Service, a 35-year-old male was bitten under the knee by a bear who was startled and stunned by the mountaineering group, who had been traversing Grinnell Overlook. In an effort to discourage the bear, the mountaineering occasion deployed bear spray which was efficient in transferring the bear away from the group.

Park officers mentioned that the mountaineering occasion encountered foggy circumstances, which possible brought on low visibility in seeing the bear, and that the occasion had the entire right emergency and security gear akin to a primary support equipment and emergency communications. 

In response to the incident, park rangers have taken the added step of closing a number of mountaineering trails to maintain friends protected till the bear’s whereabouts and decide that the mountaineering paths stay protected. 

The Backyard Wall, Grinnell Glacier Overlook, Highline Hill, Highline Path, and Sperry Glacier, Sperry Chalet are at present closed attributable to bear exercise.

The park has additionally notified guests of 16 areas that are on discover for bears frequenting, together with Boulder Lake, Cracker Lake, Granite Park, Siyeh Go, and extra. 

Guests to Glacier can go to the Path Standing Studies for the most recent replace, and knowledge on whether or not the paths have reopened. 

“Guests are reminded that the autumn season is when bears usually tend to be energetic attributable to hyperphagia,” the Nationwide Parks service shared within the launch. “As bears put together for the lengthy season of winter, throughout which they’ll hibernate, they should eat as a lot as they will to arrange to go months with out meals.”

The Nationwide Park Service recurrently advises mountaineering and outside lovers to be on alert whereas visiting the parks.