Glacier jogger collides with grizzly bear

A Kalispell woman is lucky the grizzly bear she ran into July 11 was in a charitable mood.

The woman in her 30s was running on the Huckleberry Lookout Trail in Glacier National Park — known for its bear population — when she ran headlong into a bear according to the Park Service. The two tumbled off the trail and the woman suffered non-life threatening injuries to her head and arm.

No word on whether the bear was injured — it took off into the woods.

Glacier officials remind folks that running on trails is not recommended for this very reason — runners have a tendency to come upon bears very quickly and people are usually quiet when they’re running. Both are bad combinations in bear country.

In this case the woman was the lead runner with two other people.

She was able to walk back down the trail with friends and met the rangers just as they arrived at the trailhead. The woman self-transported to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation.

Rangers checked the scene and determined it was a surprise encounter with no further issues. There are no other reports of the bear or additional encounters on the trail. Rangers posted the trail for bear frequenting but have not closed the trail.

Huckleberry Mountain is frequented by bears because of its namesake — huckleberries — which are a favorite bear food. While huckleberries aren’t quite ripe yet, it’s still excellent bear habitat, as is most of Glacier National Park.

Hikers should make noise while hiking, either talking in a normal voice or giving an occasional shout, particularly near blind corners on trails.

A simple “hey bear” is the vernacular of local hikers.

The last injury by a grizzly bear was on Aug. 27, 2016 when a park employee, while off duty picking huckleberries in the Swiftcurrent Valley, surprised what was believed to be a grizzly bear. She sustained non-life-threatening injuries to the leg and hands.

It is especially important that visitors keep campgrounds and developed areas clean and free of food and trash. Regulations require that all edibles, food containers, and cookware be stored in a hard-sided vehicle or food locker when not in use, day or night. Place all trash in bear-proof containers. Do not burn waste in fire rings or leave litter around your camp. Fire rings should be free of trash before vacating a campsite, the Park Service notes.