Bears and Bear Claws in Glacier National Park – July 31

Bears and Bear Claws in Glacier National Park – July 31

So what makes people get up early, be on the road at 7:00am and drive for almost 3 ½ hours in the park? The scenery, yes, but really, it’s the amazing bear claws baked at Poleridge. We drove through Babb, up to Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Road, and all the way to the other side of the park for the freshly baked, still warm, iced, huckleberry Bear Claws. They were heavenly, worth every mile.

The bakery - seemingly in the middle of nowhere

Interior of the bakery - some old tools - hmmm, I think I have used some of them

The saloon next to the bakery

On our way back we stopped in to check out West Glacier and walk along the lovely Cedar Trail Boardwalk surrounded by huge trees. With renewed appetite, we stopped in for a tasty burger at the Glacier’s Edge Café and then waited for the Hutterites to arrive with fresh veggies and baking at 5:00pm. They were very precise, arriving in their truck at exactly 5:00
and there was an eager little crowd waiting to buy the fresh produce.

So, onto bears, the next day, we went hiking into Grinnell Lake, a little group of us that had got together at breakfast. Ranger Ed made us the best huevos rancheros that I have ever eaten. So fuelled up with them – they were definitely not low cal – we headed out on the trail and hiked until our legs were ready to fall off. Along the way, we met a small black bear that didn’t want to get off the path. It took awhile but with lots of encouragement – Hey Bear, Hey Bear,  he finally moved off into the bush.

Gaila and I walked back on our own–talking, singing, and whistling loudly-and luckily saw no more bears. But storm clouds moved in and soon there was hail, turning the road white. We were so glad to get back to our nice dry RVs. Later we had huckleberry ice cream and then watched a grizzly bear on the hillside through the ranger’s scope. All in all, it was another great day in Glacier National Park.

August 1^st – and another hike.

Dick was off early to hike something like 23 miles, so Gaila and I decided to tackle the trail to Red Rock Falls. We walked with her friends Dean and Diane, and it was a really pretty trail. We had a picnic at Bullhead Lake and then started back. We were all talking and I was in the lead when coming around a corner, there was a grizzly bear right on the path in front of me. I put my arms up to stop everyone behind and froze in place, looking at the bear, saying Hey Bear, Hey Bear,  and my right hand was curling around my can of bear spray. Before I could get the safety clip off, he turned and disappeared into the bush. Whew…talk about a racing heart.

Lots of interesting stories in the campground – some amazing, some so sad.

Two ladies from Missouri, riding beautiful Kentucky and Rocky Mountain gated horses encountered a lady hiking alone, she had just seen a moose and wanted to walk with the horses. On a previous hike, she had been charged by a sow, but she was more scared of a moose with calves than a bear.

A man sleeping in his tent at Rising Sun Campground had a black bear run over his head as he lay sleeping in his tent.  Now that’s a campfire story that’s going to last a long time. The Rangers closed ½ the campground down, and then when a grizzly appeared on the scene, closed the whole thing down.

A man in our campground told me that a bear had bothered him for at least an hour, snuffling around his tent last night. Hmmm, I heard something big walking around my trailer last night – it’s only a few campsites away from him. I didn’t look out the window because I didn’t want to see what it was so I lay there frozen, hoping for the best. I am so glad I am not in a tent.

Two young employees from the Many Glacier Lodge were killed this past month in falls off the peaks. The Ranger said the rock formations up there are mostly sandstone, and that pieces can come off in your hands. Also, it is easy to go the wrong way, following a goat path, and end up in trouble.

Bear spray – you gotta be careful! A camper told me how he sprayed himself by mistake, and went into the lake to try and get the terrible burning off his skin, and then the water carried it to other places…

Also, there was the story from Pat, the most engaging Interpreter you will ever meet, of a Ranger who was leading a group of East European Tourists. A bear came along the trail and while the Ranger was trying to talk the bear away, one of the tourists shot off his bear spray, hitting not the bear, but the Ranger. The Ranger lay in great pain, cursing and throwing up, and then after the worst was past, he thought he better get up. But it was so quiet. When he could finally open his eyes, he couldn’t believe it, the bear was gone, but so were the tourists. They had just left him there.

This morning, the little boy in the campsite across the road held his arms so that I would pick him up, no words needed. He’s about 14 months old, and loves to have his face licked by Baloo. He wanted a close look at a chattering squirrel so we followed it through the tree branches. So sweet, his warm little cheek next to mine.