Aggressive griz sends hikers scurrying

Highline trail closed, griz leaves, Park reopens it

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - An ornery sow grizzly bear and her cub forced Park rangers to close one of the Park's most popular trails just a few hours after it opened last Thursday.

The grizzly bear and her cub were first seen by folks at Granite Park Chalet earlier in the day not far from the Highline Trail.

Later that afternoon, the sow and cub decided to walk down the middle of the trail. There they ran into hiker Allison Lay and another woman headed to the chalet. The hikers saw the bears, got up off the trail and then, for whatever reason, the sow bluff charged the two. Lay is a volunteer with the Student Conservation Association.

The two bears then went out of sight of Park personnel and employees at the chalet who had spotting scopes. Fearing there may be another encounter with hikers coming up the trail, they radioed Park Ranger Ron Goldhirsch to warn him about the bears.

Goldhirsch, as well as about 12 members of the Over-The-Hill-Gang and a couple of other hikers, were about a half-mile from the chalet. The Gang as well as Goldhirsch had been shoveling out problem snowdrifts on the trail.

After getting the radio transmission, Goldhirsch told everyone in the group about the bear and warned folks to stay together.

About a half-mile from the chalet, the sow was back on the trail again with her cub in tow.

Despite yelling and arm waving by the group, the bear kept on coming at them. Everyone went upslope way off the trail and the bear finally jumped off into the brush and trees with its cub.

Goldhirsch then radioed Logan Pass and informed Park rangers at Logan Pass to close the trail. It's pretty unusual for a grizzly, even one with a cub, to challenge that many hikers, Goldhirsch noted.

Goldhirsch then swept the trail back to Logan Pass to clear it of hikers en route to Granite Park, to stop any potential further encounters.

But Park rangers never saw the sow and cub again. In fact, after sweeping the trail several times over the past few days, the trail was reopened back to the chalet Saturday afternoon.

The trail runs along the Continental Divide from Logan Pass to Goat Haunt. It's most popular section, from Logan Pass to Granite Park, sees thousands of hikers each year.

It's also excellent grizzly bear habitat. Folks hiking the trail - or most trails in Glacier - should carry bear spray as a precaution.

Park rangers also patrol some of the most popular trails in Glacier.

They haze bears away from the trail if they are too close, using shotguns loaded with cracker shells. The shells are harmless, but they make a big bang.