Trails Closed After Grizzly Encounters Glacier Park Officials Say The Bears May Have Been Making Bluff Charges

Glacier National Park has closed two popular trails in the Many Glacier area after grizzly bears charged hikers, the latest in a number of bear encounters in the park.

Park officials say pepper spray used in both of the most recent incidents may have stopped the bears, but the grizzlies also may have been making bluff charges, scary advances that stop short of attacks.

On Monday, park naturalist Dave Casteel was on a trail near Grinnell Glacier when he spotted a grizzly about 300 yards in front of him. The bear charged, and Casteel fired his pepper spray when the grizzly closed to within about 15 yards.

“Dave saw the bear sit down and put a paw to its face, and then (Casteel) left the area; he didn’t stay around to see what the bear did,” said Many Glacier ranger Dick Mattson.

The grizzly was tentatively identified as No. 259, an adult male that was relocated last summer after some close encounters with people. Mattson said the bear is being monitored, but there are no plans now to take more serious action.

The Grinnell trail has been closed to hikers.

The day before, two hikers from Kentucky were charged twice by an adult grizzly on the nearby Swiftcurrent Pass trail.

The men apparently surprised the bear, and they ran after encountering it, Mattson said. The lead hiker stumbled and fell, and just as his companion caught up to him, the bear circled to the other side of the trail and from a distance of about 30 feet, charged to within 10 feet.

One of the men discharged a can of pepper spray at the bear, which turned and ran off. Mattson said it was unclear if the bear was hit by the pepper spray, and he noted that bears frequently make false, or bluff, charges without actually attcking.