Jenna Otter, 18, had been hiking just ahead of her dad as they zigzagged up the steep switchbacks of the Grinnell Glacier Trail at Glacier National Park on Aug. 25. ophthalmologist couldn’t find the torn muscle behind his right eye. That night he admitted it was wrong to suggest to the group that we hike to Grinnell Glacier before talking with me as well as with so little preparation. The unidentified hikers were hurt August 25 when they rounded a bend along the Grinnell Glacier Trail and came practically face-to-face with the bears. 5 A raven is circling “Some of the worst attacks have been when a grizzly was feeding on a carcass,” says Herrero. I landed face-up, which wasn’t ideal, but you can’t plan these things. If you spot a scavenger such as a coyote or crow, assume there’s a carcassâand a grizzlyânearby. Right before the attack happened, we were debating how much farther we had to go before the turnaround. Glacier National Park, MT. I knew the smartest tactic was to get into the fetal position, but there was no time. Our Grizzly Bear Encounter at Grinnell Glacier in Glacier Natl Park Brian. She woke up halfway through the fall and hit her butt and head on rocks. If there are also signs of fresh digging, a grizzly is probably nearby. It was just impact. Grinnell Glacier was named for George Bird Grinnell, who is credited with coining Glacier as the “Crown of the Continent.” Grinnell was one of the early Americans who explored the park and he certainly made his mark on the Many Glacier Valley, as there are two lakes, a Glacier, a mountain, and an arete (Grinnell Point), all bearing his name. It felt like a dog digging for a bone. It started running right at me. We were hoping to hike to Iceberg Lake later that afternoon. Why the Universe Put Me Face to Face With a Grizzly Bear in Glacier National Park. You can also take guided hikes to many locations, Grinnell Glacier … The unidentified hikers were hurt August 25 when they rounded a bend along the Grinnell Glacier Trail and came practically face-to-face with the bears. Well, I don’t find them as cute as I used to. I came to a stop and took a breath. They encountered the bear and her two cubs on a trail above Grinnell Lake. The second part of the series will run in next week's Outdoors section. Once the group met near Many Glacier Hotel that afternoon I pulled Bill aside and explained in not so calm words, how it felt to be alone and ill on a trail with bear danger always a possibility. I wasn’t in a vulnerable position, even though I was really banged up. Glacier is beautiful and you will enjoy it, but you need to be aware of the dangers also, as you do when out in any "wild" area, be it Glacier or any other park. The two of us were pretty serious hikers. I just wanted to finish. I also broke my nose and two vertebrae; I had a compound fracture of my second cervical vertebra; I had bite wounds all over; I ruptured my left biceps; and I had lacerations on my thighs and shins. My college buddy and I went for a two week excursion in Glacier Park. But I realize they are an animal we need to have around. For the next 45 minutes, we yelled for help. And her voice was strong. Below me, there was a drop of several hundred feet. Honestly, I don’t know if I could ever kick a bear off a mountain, but I was prepared to try. The Grinnell Glacier was named after George Bird Grinnell, an explorer who was a strong advocate of the creation of Glacier National Park. It was the shock of I can’t get this thing to work as fast as I want it to and this bear is running at me. ... As they approached a corner within a section of the park called Grinnell Glacier, ... House Dems share Capitol attack experience. My list of injuries was long. The first thing I asked when I called to her was how her eyes were. My neck gets stiff, but I’m getting physical therapy. I tumbled about 20 feet. Two hikers in Glacier National Park are recovering from injuries sustained in an encounter with a grizzly bear and her two cubs. I’d been taking my time filming a golden eagle, but Jenna kept nudging me to keep on pace. My PR is 3:13, and I still hope to qualify for the Boston Marathon before the end of this year. So I curled back into protective mode, but this time it got more aggressive, gnawing and scratching my head. Length: 10.3 miles Trailhead: Follow the Many Glacier Road straight ahead until you see clearly marked signs for the Grinnell Glacier Trail. My left leg isn’t as strong as my right because of the injury, and the hat I wear to protect my scalp traps the heat in. It’s safe!” She never heard me. At this point, I still didn’t know there were cubs. I was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where x-rays revealed I’d broken my neck in three places and needed to be kept still. Travel Guides series DVD Blu-ray GLACIER: THE HIKER'S NATIONAL PARK. We wound through a grove of trees, past Lake Josephine, and started up some switchbacks that took us above treeline. National Parks Traveler is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit media organization. I don’t recall any sounds, any grunting or growling. “Bears don’t like surprises. “Most bears will decide to avoid you,” says Herrero. But the bear did. I’m 6 foot 1 and 185 pounds. Jenna has recovered very well. I was facing it. Instead it looked down at me and walked away. About 60 percent of my head was “de-gloved”âthe bear essentially took my scalp off. She didn’t know she had to release the safety lever before she sprayed. All I could think was: This is bizarre. I waited a little longer, then I yelled for Jenna. Jenna Otter returns to scene of grizzly bear attack 1 / 4 On their last day in Glacier National Park, Jenna Otter caught a cutthroat trout at Otokomi Lake. During the wait, more hikers stopped. She passed out and fell about 50 feet off-trail in a different direction from me. It was right around 9 a.m. Jenna was a few steps in front of me. Trailhead: Grinnell Glacier Trailhead or Many Glacier Hotel [b] 3.6 mi (5.8 km) Elevation gain: 1,600 ft (488 m) Using concession boat from Many Glacier Hotel, tour fees apply and reservations highly recommended. I remember the fangs and the claws. She didn’t flinch. But Jenna later told me I was screaming. So I thought, I need to get out of this situation. Move swiftly by, and keep your bear antenna up. I was covered in blood, and you could see my skull. And so I entered the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego in June. The bear immediately went for my left thigh: whomp, bite. 2 There’s a headwind A bear’s #1 sense is smell. And later, when the rescuers came, they didn’t want to move us. The bear was throwing me around. That’s not good. Switchbacks can be a concern if you don’t have a good line of sight. When hiking in low-visibility areas or off-trail, let out your best yodel as often as every 10 seconds. 1 You’re near a rushing stream “A bear has difficulty hearing you above this noise, so you’re more likely to surprise it,” says Herrero. And that’s what I did. This day, we decided to hike to Grinnell Glacier; it’s about 11 miles round-trip. I think that was when Jenna realized she needed to play dead instead. I was face-to-face with the grizzly for about 3 to 5 minutes, but I don’t remember what it smelled like. the doctor’s hands were. She’s pretty sure she fainted at that point. I hope you enjoy some of the best Glacier National Park hikes and maybe find a few trails you love dearly. Grinnell Glacier is still the largest of the three ice fields and covers about 152 acres. After Jenna fell, she had crawled under some bushes and next to a rock for some protection. I stopped in a rock chute on the edge of a cliff. 3 You come upon a cluster of overturned rocks If you’re hiking in Yellowstone or Glacier, the work was likely done by grizzlies looking for army cutworm moths. GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - Johan looked up. She called back immediately. But pain was not an issue. I was just so happy to see people. That was the best sound I’ve ever heard. Zookeeper Jack Hanna Uses Pepper Spray to Save Hikers From Bear. There are exotic parasites that live in a bear’s mouth that could have killed us. The minute I yelled, I saw the bear looking down. His wife ran back down the trail and eventually found a ranger-led group on its way to the glacier. I was sitting there preparing to kick it off the mountain if it came after me again. Then I remember thinking, Jenna doesn’t have a backpack. Segment from THE WEST IS BIG! The first thing I saw was this big furry thing. She could’ve reached out and touched its snout. A ranger told me afterwards that I actually created a seal to stop the bleeding. Jenna broke her back in two places, but they were stable fracturesâmeaning they were in place and wouldn’t easily move. I didn’t see any arterial bleeds, but when I touched the top of my head, I felt nothing but bone. Warning Signs 5 bear-country scenarios that call for extra vigilance. (For Licensing or usage, contact licensing@viralhog.com)Hiking on a trail in Montana Glacier National Park to see a waterfall. If all of a sudden it finds a person 25 meters away, it may just run on auto-pilot.” Changing course may be impractical, but you can still make your presence known; again, talk or sing loudly. Jenna’s first response was to run away. Jenna and I were only 30 feet apart, but we were too weak to get to each other. I had wanted to start earlier but my daughter said no, you need to keep business hours when you’re in grizzly country. Almost half of my bear encounters were from bears spooked by other hikers. You make noise and keep a clean camp. Then it hit me: Yes, I’m keeping this thing with me, but I’m going to be dead soon. Grinnell Glacier is in the heart of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana.The glacier is named for George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist and explorer, who was also a strong advocate of ensuring the creation of Glacier National Park. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. When hiking in bear habitat that’s noisy, keep up the chatter, stay alert, and stop occasionally to scan for bears, advises Herrero. Those two are together. My response was just to stand my ground and not move. Fine, she said, but she had wounds on her face and her shoulder. A tailwind will carry your odor to bears down-trail. At some point, I decided I needed to run another marathon. Grinnell Glacier is typically accessed by hiking round trip from the Many Glacier area. 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