Glacier National Park: Grizzlies and Disappearing Ice

We are now in the Jackson Hole area, the final leg of our five-month odyssey of the West. Doesn’t seem possible that we have been gone that long. Although it’s been great, I have to say I am getting a little road weary and looking forward to getting home sometime around September 20.

Our last big stop was in Glacier National Park in northern Montana. This is one place I’ve always wanted to visit but I’ve been a bit hesitant because it has over 300 grizzly bears and about twice that many black bears, and people indeed have been attacked and killed by bears in the park. But we were too close not to visit one of the crown jewels in our National Park system.

We spent our first week on the west side of the park. Of course, we didn’t get a good view of the beautiful scenery that week as it rained for five straight days. Just glad we had an RV to retreat to instead of a tent. However, one day we ventured out on a ranger-led hike on the Highline Trail, which starts at Logan Pass. It was completely fogged in with forecast of rain all along the trail throughout the day. But the ranger said the hike was on, so off we started, a group of about 10, in dense fog and drizzle. But as it turned out, the hike was phenomenal, as the fog and rolling cloud banks lent a surreal “Lord of the Rings” quality to the hike.
Also, the ranger warned us that this trail had been posted for bear activity, so when we encountered bear scat at four different places on the trail, we made sure our bear spray was handy and we maintained a loud chatter to avoid surprising any bears, which is not a good thing! Apparently it worked as we never encountered the offending bear(s?).

The weather much improved when Jim’s high school best bud, Jerry Bolling, and his wife, Pat, brought with them the wonderful weather they had been experiencing during their month-long trip throughout Alaska. At that point, we all headed over to the east side of the park, which I think is nicer as it’s not as crowded. We spent a week there, and the weather was glorious as were some nice hikes we did with the Bollings. One was a repeat of the Highline Trail. This time, we saw firsthand how the park system handles problem bears.

It all started while walking up the Loop Trail, when a ranger came up behind, carrying a shotgun over his shoulder. Not something you see every day. Apparently, a grizzly sow and her two cubs had been hanging out by the chalet, where we were headed for our lunch break. The bears had been hanging around the chalet and Highline trail for the past week and he was going up there to do some hazing of the bears. This is actually aversion training in which rubber bullets and cracker shells are shot at the bears with the hopes that they associate unpleasant experiences with hanging out where humans frequent. (Of course, who’s really the trespasser here?)

And sure enough, not long after we had finished our lunch, a guy ran up to the ranger saying the sow and her cubs were about 100 yards down the trail. After that, things got exciting. The ranger ran down the trail with his gun at the ready. I’d say he got within 50 yards of the mother, when he fired off the first shot. But it didn’t seem to faze her as she only went a short distance before she turned around and took a good look at the ranger. I fully expected her to charge him. But the ranger shot off another round of rubber bullets and cracker shells, which give off a deafening charge that echoed throughout the valley. She got the point and finally took off over the ridge. For a while her cubs hung back. One even stood up on its hind legs to check out the ranger more closely. But finally they too followed their mom over the ridge. And when we saw how easily they rambled up that steep slope, I have a new respect for how fast and strong those animals are.

Glacier is an amazing place, a real "do-over." But alas, global warming is taking a toll on the features for which it is named: Of the 150 glaciers that were there in 1850, only 26 remain today. And by 2030, they predict Glacier will be glacier free.

We’re hanging out here for a few more days to spend time with Hannah before heading off to visit Jim’s parent in Arkansas, then home. Looking forward to seeing everyone. All in all, Jim has done well, considering his back. Just has to pace himself. We have an appointment at The James on September 23, where he’ll get more tests and another treatment.

See you all later!

Highline Trail, in the clouds



Sailboat on Lake MacDonald: While watching, the board capsized! Was towed in upside down, everyone safe.


Mountain Goats on the Trail. Too Cute!


Big Horn Sheep on the trail


View from another trail


Highline Trail on a sunny day