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Updated: Hiker Killed In Fall at Glacier National Park

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Published Date

August 23, 2009

The Ahern Pass area of Glacier National Park. Photo by Bob Sihler via www.summitpost.org

A 67-year-old hiker in Glacier National Park was killed when he fell about 300 feet while hiking in the backcountry not far from Many Glacier, park officials said Sunday.

The man, from Great Falls, Montana, had been hiking with four others on Saturday. Earlier in the day they had climbed Iceberg Notch and they were heading back to the Many Glacier campground when the accident occurred.

According to park reports, two of the party broke off, and the remaining three planned to use goat trails to climb down to Ptarmigan Tunnel, and then return to Many Glacier campground, where they were staying. The victim had climbed the Ahern Pass route before, and separated from the other two to take the route again. The other two, one of which was his 38 year-old-son, chose a different route. The man was down-climbing on Ahern Pass near Helen Lake east of the Continental Divide, when he fell some 300 feet around 2 p.m. Saturday.

A group of hikers, including a park employee, witnessed the fall. The employee made his way to the victim after sending the rest of the party to Granite Park Chalet to get help. While climbing to the victim, the employee spotted another park employee, and yelled to him for help. The two made their way to the victim and found he had suffered fatal injuries. The employee stayed with the victim while the second employee hiked out for help.

Saturday evening the victim, the other two hikers, and some park employees were transported from the scene of the accident by Minuteman Aviation. The victim’s name is not being released pending notification of all family members.

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Comments

Submitted by admin on August 23, 2009 - 11:40am.

More likely a hiker than a climber.


Submitted by admin on August 24, 2009 - 10:48am.

I knew Bill and his son Chris, and they are both seasoned mountaineers. The route was definitely not a simple hike. These guys were traversing between 9-10k peaks where I suspect only a few people have been.


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