UnBEARable in Glacier National Park
Nancy Chase arrives at Crypt Lake
As a life long New Englander, I don’t get the grizzly bear thing. I mean our gentle black bears run if you whisper, “Boo.” Unlike our benign bruins, grizzlies have a nasty reputation. Recently, while my wife Nancy and I were hiking in Yellowstone National Park, an angry grizzly mauled a runner in nearby West Yellowstone. I understand that they perceive us as intruders, but mauling is a little unfriendly and definitely inhospitable.
We assumed we’d been spared during our Yellowstone hikes because we carried a whole gaggle of clanging bear bells attached to our packs. On an earlier hiking trip in Grand Teton National Park, a Park Ranger had recommended bear bells. In late June, we arrived at Glacier National Park in Montana with our packs festooned with an array of the latest, state-of-the-art, irritatingly noisy bear bells. Prior to our first hike, we stopped at the Park Store near the Visitor’s Center. Times have changed. Now, they sell horns, bear spray, and bells. And, after a human visitor thoroughly aggravates an angry sow protecting her cubs from these threatening devices, curling up in something approximating the fetal position is recommended as the final defense. In Glacier, Park Rangers claim bear bells don’t work. In fact, they suggest the bells act like a grizzly caller. So, why are they selling them at the park store? Is this the penultimate “hidden tax?” The Park Service sells useless bear bells to help fund the General Motors bailout. How many naïve hikers have been consumed by grizzlies while desperately shaking their bear bells bought in good faith at the Park Store?
I have to say that just about my least favorite means of meeting my demise is being torn apart and devoured piece by piece by a hungry grizzly, especially if I’m conscious during part of the process. So, when I hike in grizzly country, I want airtight assurances that I and my loved ones won’t be attacked. If bear bells are actually callers, who is to say with certainty that horns and sprays will work? Blowing a horn at a charging bear seems like a futile exercise. Better to throw it at him and run like hell. Carefully taking aim and successfully hitting an attacking bear in the face with bear spray seems like it would require the calm presence of mind and steady hand of an astronaut or a cat burglar. The fetal position defense strikes me as an eminently risky procedure particularly after enraging the bear with bells, horns and sprays. What to do? Short of staying home, there doesn’t seem to be an answer.
Glacier National Park is a spectacular place with majestic, scenic vistas throughout. For our first hike, we chose a 3 mile trek to Avalanche Lake. Surveying the area, it looked like grizzly country to me. However, since it is one of the most popular hikes in the park, it seemed likely the grizzlies would cull out the elderly, slower people first. The trail follows Avalanche Creek past a series of waterfalls and cataracts before arriving at Avalanche Lake, which was surrounded by snow crested alpine summits with waterfalls cascading off cliffs to the lake below. Grizzlies won’t tolerate shabby views. After a pleasant picnic lunch at the far end of the lake while guardedly watching for grizzlies, we passed a deer blocking the trail on our descent, but no bad news bears.
We joined a group of friends for what was reputed to be “the best hike in Canada” for our second day in the park. Located in the Canadian section, we took a boat shuttle across Upper Waterton Lake to the trailhead for Crypt Lake Trail. The trail ascended through a conifer forest to an alpine environment that was obviously a popular grizzly habitant. We were a group of about a dozen and, being a runner, I was quite sure I could outrun most members of our party. However, I was not sure how Nancy would fare, which was cause for concern. Once above-tree line, the path passed by and over a substantial waterfall and approached another 600 foot falls. Following switchbacks, we climbed steadily on a narrow exposed trail to a tunnel that nature had gratuitously carved out of the side of a cliff. After creeping through the tunnel, we emerged on an even more attenuated path with a fixed cable attached to a vertical wall on our left and a sheer drop of several hundred feet opposite. No place for those who suffer from vertigo – like me – and no room to share with a huge furry critter with sharp claws. Carefully negotiating our way up the steep, exposed ledge, we passed through a wooded area above the falls and were greeted by a breathtaking view of Crypt Lake. Almost completely encircled by rocky peaks with snow filled gullies reaching to the shore of the partially ice covered tarn, the surroundings were surreal and captivating. The word cryptic comes to mind. Beautiful weather, tired muscles and fabulous vistas dictated a long, relaxing respite. A mountain goat was spotted on a cliff hundreds of feet above, but we were apparently in a grizzly free zone. We completed our 12 mile hike, which included a side trip to Hell Roaring Falls, in time for the last boat shuttle of the day.
For our final hike, Nancy and I arrived early at the Many Glacier trailhead in the east central part of the park. Hiking southwest along Swiftcurrent Lake, we had only traveled about a quarter mile when we encountered a huge deposit of fresh bear scat confidently left in the middle of the trail. This was the real deal. Only a gargantuan bruin could leave such a massive amount of waste. No bear bells or human limbs were observed in the heaping pile but perhaps he or she had spit them out. We were alone on the trail and dismemberment seemed to be moments away. Tentatively, we continued to Lake Josephine with our bear bells creating a cacophony of irritating sounds and then began an ascent towards Grinnell Glacier. Expecting an enraged grizzly at every turn, instead we were treated to a series of splendid views of the glacier and the snowy summit of Mount Gould. After a couple of hours without encountering hikers or grizzlies, we met two middle-aged men who reported that a sow and her cub were in the area. Due to hazardous conditions, hiking on the glacier was fortuitously prohibited. Our hasty return trip was uneventful.
Glacier National Park is truly a hiker’s paradise. My advice on avoiding grizzly bear encounters: Don’t be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Enjoy the views along the way. For information on more outdoor adventures, see my website at www.ronchaseoutdoors.com. For details on the best mountain hikes in New England (a grizzly free environment), obtain a copy of our book, Mountains for Mortals – New England.