The bear that came for lunch.
Written: Jul 02 '01
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Pros: Magnificent scenery, not too crowded.
Cons: None that I can think of.
The Bottom Line: For scenery at its finest, you can't beat Glacier National Park. It is out of the way, so less crowded than parks like Yellowstone. Bring warm clothing, just in case.
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| patsyv's Full Review: Glacier National Park |
Sometimes wildlife can come a little too close for comfort. The first time I visited Glacier National Park, back in 1959, I had an unusual encounter with a bear. After driving out of the main entrance on the east side of Glacier, we decided to stop at a secluded campsite that was located south on Route 89. (This was probably Cut Bank Campground) When we got to the campsite, we found a small primitive facility, which included about eight tent sites equipped with little more than a fireplace and a picnic table. No other campers were there at this time. It was lovely.
After we selected our campsite, I went in search of some kindling wood, walking down a path in the woods. Before I had gone too far, I discovered a bear coming up the path, so I went the other way. On this new path, I soon found another bear, this time, a mother bear with a cub. I beat a hasty retreat and told my husband that I was not going to look for any more firewood. He then took over this chore.
My husband had started a small fire, so I got out my cooking equipment and started to prepare lunch. It was probably some exotic gourmet fare, such as Spam and baked beans. We were on our way home from vacation and were reduced to using canned goods. As I stood there by the fireplace waiting for the pan of food to heat, a bear came out of the woods. He ambled towards me. I picked up the pan and eyed the bear over the fireplace. At least it wasn’t the mother bear.
The bear started to circle the fireplace, and I moved, keeping the fire between the bear and myself. Help! Where was my husband?
It seemed forever that the bear and I played this little game. I didn’t call out because I did not want to alarm the bear, and I didn’t feel too threatened as long as I had the fire as a barricade and there was only one bear. Round and round we went, the bear and I, with my pan of food. Where was my husband?
Finally, tiring of this, the bear looked for other sources of food. He went towards our station wagon.
Unfortunately, there it sat with both front doors wide open, the tailgate up, and all of our food supplies handily lined up in boxes right next to the tailgate. My little traveling pantry....what a great find for a hungry bear.
The bear stood up, put both of his front feet on the tailgate, and inspected the larder. It was too funny. His head turned back and forth as he looked from side to side, just as if he was in a fancy delicatessen. Since there were only canned goods, nothing caught his fancy. Sigh of relief!
But, worse was to come. The bear then went to the left front door of the station wagon, and climbed in. Oh boy, there goes the upholstery, I thought. Where was my
husband?
After a couple of minutes, the bear emerged from our vehicle and headed to the garbage can. He knocked off the lid and proceeded to empty the can, head down in the can and garbage flying out over his shoulders as he dug deeper into the treasure trove of garbage. It looked just like what you might see in a cartoon.
The bear backed out of the garbage can and proceeded to inspect what he had thrown out of the can, eating a few choice morsels, and then, after a long look at me with my pan of food, turned and walked back into the forest. Sigh of relief!
My husband showed up soon after, with some firewood, and the only evidence left from the bear encounter was the pile of garbage by the garbage can. The upholstery was not damaged, I had protected our lunch (a foolhardy thing to do), and I had a great story to tell about our vacation. Some people have all the luck.
Note: today, you cannot collect firewood in most parks.
Glacier National Park was created in 1910. It was our country’s tenth national Park. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was completed in 1932, after eleven years of construction. The road itself is a National Historic Landmark, and the scenery surrounding it is magnificent.
There are many activities available in this wonderful park.
Fishing
No licenses or permits are required to fish in the park, but there are limits on what fish you may catch and how you may catch them. Pick up a copy of current regulations at the Visitor Center.
Hiking
700 miles of trails await you. There are five self-guided nature trails, one of which is wheelchair accessible. If you want to camp overnight in the back country, you must have a permit, which is obtainable at the Visitor’s Center or at a ranger station. The last time I started on a short hike from the Avalanche Creek Campground, I ran into a sign warning about grizzly bears, and it was graphic enough that it convinced me to turn around and go back to camp.
Camping
Reservations are available at two of the campgrounds and the others are first-come, first-served. Reservations may be made five months in advance (1-800-365-CAMP or http://reservations.nps.gov). There is a limit of seven days during July and August, and a yearly limit of 14 days.
Boating
Hand propelled boats and sailboats are allowed on all park waters, except on a portion of Upper McDonald Creek. Boat launching ramps are available on Bowman, McDonald, St. Mary and Two Medicine Lakes.
Bicycling
Bicycles are not allowed on trails. They are restricted to roadways and bike routes.
Horseback Riding
You may rent horses or bring your own. For rules concerning privately owned horses, consult the website: http://www.nps.gov/glac/activities/horses.htm
If you visit Glacier National Park, be prepared for any type of weather. It can be pleasant and warm or cold and freezing, sometimes both extremes within the same day. When the sun goes down, you will appreciate a heavy jacket and a warm sleeping bag.
For those who do not wish to camp, there is a wide selection of accommodations, ranging from historic grand hotels to modern motels and rustic cabins.
Bus tours of the Going-to-the Sun Highway are available, and I recently saw a report that the open air touring busses, which were retired a few years ago, are being refurbished, and will soon be back in service. The closed busses that replaced the open air busses did not provide the magnificent view of the mountaintops.
So, take a trip to Glacier National Park. The mountains, waterfalls, fresh air, wildlife, all await you.
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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Epinions.com ID:
patsyv
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Member: Pat
Location: Florida
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 194 members
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