Glacier National Park hiker injured by bear defending cubs
HAILEY SMALLEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 2 months AGO
A cinnamon phase black bear sow and her two tiny cubs traverse a hillside after twice crossing over Red Sleep Mountain Drive at the Bison Range on Sunday, May 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A female hiker was injured by a bear in the Goat Haunt area of Glacier National Park on the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 27, according to park officials.
The 34-year-old woman was hiking in a brushy section of trail near Lake Janet Wilderness Campground at about 3:15 p.m. when she encountered a brown-colored sow and two cubs. The bear charged at the woman, swiping at her shoulder and arm. The bear fled when a fellow hiker deployed bear spray.
The entire incident lasted fewer than 30 seconds, according to park officials.
Following the attack, the group continued down the trail until they encountered another hiker with an InReach device. The A.L.E.R.T. rescue helicopter responded to the group’s SOS message and found the woman in stable condition. She was transported to Logan Health Medical Center in Kalispell.
Lake Janet Wilderness Campground is temporarily closed, though park officials stated that “no action will be taken against the bear at this time.”
“The encounter was a surprise to a sow with two cubs that reacted defensively,” a press release stated. “The area of the trail the hiking party was on is confined by the lake and dense brush, which the bear came out of.”
Officials were unable to confirm whether the bear was a grizzly bear or a brown-colored black bear.
A separate incident on Wednesday, Aug. 27 resulted in closures along Going-to-the-Sun Road. Officials sealed off the area between Big Bend and Logan Pass between about 12:23 and 1:15 p.m. for what was described as a rescue operation. Further details were not made available.
Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].
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