Glacier hikers use bear spray to fend off grizzly attack

A group of visitors in Glacier National Park used bear spray to ward off a grizzly after it bit a Washington man last week as they hiked through foggy conditions along the popular Highline Trail.  

The 35-year-old man was bit on the leg in the Sept. 19 attack, park officials said in a release. The section of trail between Haystack Butte and Granite Park Chalet where the incident occurred remained closed Monday. The trail will reopen once park rangers patrolling the area can determine that the bear is no longer in the area. 

The hiker was near the Grinnell Glacier Overlook trailhead when he surprised the bear at close range and was bit below the knee, park officials said.  

Members of the hiking party used bear spray to drive the bear away. They then used a satellite communication device to contact park dispatch to report the incident and received instructions on how to bandage the wound. Park officials said they were able to stop the bleeding with a first-aid kit.  

“The hiking party was walking into the wind and faced foggy conditions, which could have contributed to the encounter,” said Glacier's supervisory wildlife biologist John Waller. “They were well prepared with bear spray, a satellite communication device, a first aid kit, were hiking as a group and kept their cool when dealing with the bear.”    

The injured man hiked to Granite Park Chalet with assistance from rangers and other hikers where he was met by Two Bear Air and flown to the Apgar horse corrals, then transported by Three Rivers ambulance to the Logan Health Whitefish hospital. The injuries were non-life threatening.   

Based on information from witnesses, park wildlife biologists determined it was a grizzly bear, most likely a male.   

“At this time, no action will be taken against the bear, because it was a surprise encounter,” Waller said.   

Visitors are reminded that the fall season is when bears are more likely to be active due to hyperphagia. As bears prepare for the long season of winter, during which they will hibernate, they need to eat as much as they can to prepare to go months without food. For more information about recreating in bear country, please visit the park’s bear safety webpage.   

Other closures in Glacier due to bear activity include Sperry Trail between Sperry Chalet and Comeau Pass and Oldman Lake Wilderness Campground.    

Visitors are also reminded that trail access in Many Glacier Valley is affected in the Swiftcurrent area due to construction. For information on trail closures in the park, visit the park’s trail status webpage.