The Highline trail at Glacier National Park / Mike Willis - Flickr

Last week, a hiker on Glacier National Park's popular Highline trail was bitten on the leg by a bear after he surprised the animal near a trail junction heading toward the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. The hiker, a 35-year-old man from Washington state, was traveling with companions who used bear spray to drive the bear away. Conditions were foggy, and the group was hiking into a stiff wind, factors that allowed the group to come close to the bear before being spotted. 

The hikers contacted park authorities with a satellite communications device, received instructions on how to treat the wound with their first aid kit, and were able to continue to the Granite Park Chalet where the injured man was airlifted to a local hospital. 

The section of the Highline trail where the encounter took place remains closed. Park rangers are actively searching the area for the bear involved and once they're satisfied it's no longer in the area, the trail section will reopen. Park biologists believe the bear involved was a male grizzly. 

At this point, there are no plans to remove the bear from the area, as it was deemed a surprise encounter, and park authorities don't believe the bear is an imminent theat. 

In a statement, park officials remind visitors to Glacier National Park (or any park with bears in it for that matter), fall is when bears are very active and eating as much as they can to prepare for hibernation, and therefore, encounters are more likely.

The park maintains a bear safety webpage and encourages anyone visiting Glacier to familiarize themselves with proper bear encounter behavior. 

“The hiking party was walking into the wind and faced foggy conditions, which could have contributed to the encounter,” says John Waller, supervisory wildlife biologist. “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.”