A trail runner collided with a young grizzly about 4 miles down the Huckleberry Lookout Trail in Glacier National Park on Saturday/NPS file
Who was more surprised when a trail runner collided with a grizzly bear in Glacier National Park on Saturday morning is debatable, but both were able to walk away from the incident.
Park officials say the Kalispell, Montana, woman was running with two others on the Huckleberry Lookout Trail when she ran into what was believed to be a young grizzly sometime before 9 a.m.
The unidentified woman "was the lead runner when she and the bear collided. The woman and the bear tumbled together off the trail. Once separated, the bear ran off," a park release said. The woman received minor injuries to her head and an arm, it added.
She was able to walk back down the trail with friends and met the rangers just as they arrived at the trailhead. The woman self-transported to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation.
Rangers checked the scene and determined it was a surprise encounter with no further issues. There were no other reports of the bear or additional encounters on the trail. Rangers posted the trail for bear frequenting but have not closed the trail.
The last human injury by a grizzly bear was on August 27, 2016, when a park employee, while off duty picking huckleberries in the Swiftcurrent Valley, surprised what was believed to be a grizzly bear. She sustained non-life-threatening injuries to the leg and hands.
Visitors to Glacier National Park are reminded that the park is home to black and grizzly bears. Trail running in grizzly habitat is dangerous because runners traveling quickly and quietly through bear habitat have a higher risk of surprising grizzly bears at close range. Glacier National Park discourages trail running in order to protect the public and the bears.
Hikers are highly encouraged to hike in groups, make noise when hiking, and have bear spray accessible and know how to use it. For information on trail closures in the park, visit the park’s trail status webpage.
Support Essential Coverage of Essential Places
Comments
Hey, it's a national park! The Bears have the right away.
The runners should be banned from the park, or at least go thru a bear education course. Sounds like both bear and person came out of this ok, but could have been worse.
You could say she bearly survived! Joking aside, glad all is ok, but to consider banning runners is just plain silly, considering how rare this is, and the liklihood the bear would be the winner of any true conflict (hello, fur and claws). Stay safe fellow runners- don't be Meat on Feet!