KALISPELL, MT – A 34-year-old female hiker was stable but transported to the hospital after being injured Wednesday by a brown-colored bear at Lake Janet in Glacier National Park, the park said in a news release.
The bear ran off after her hiking partner used bear spray, according to the news release.
The park said it could not identify the species of bear. It described the incident as follows:
The hiking party of two was hiking westbound near Lake Janet when a medium brown-colored bear with two cubs charged out of the brush, toward the woman. The woman dove off the trail, while covering her head. The bear swiped at her, injuring her shoulder and arm. As this was happening, her hiking partner deployed bear spray, causing the bear to immediately run away. The entire incident lasted fewer than 30 seconds. The hiking party continued toward the Lake Janet Wilderness Campground where they found other hikers with an InReach device, which they used to send an SOS to park dispatch.
At approximately 3:42 p.m. park dispatch received the SOS for a female who had an encounter with a brown colored sow. Park staff and ALERT were dispatched. ALERT quickly got to the patient, finding her in stable condition. ALERT transported the woman to Logan Health in Kalispell.
No action will be taken against the bear at this time; the encounter was a surprise to a sow with two cubs that reacted defensively. The area of the trail the hiking party was on is confined by the lake and dense brush, which the bear came out of. The species of the bear could not be positively identified.
The Lake Janet Wilderness Campground was temporarily closed and will reopen when appropriate, the park said. It said fall is when bears are especially active, eating as much as possible in preparation for hibernation.
For information on trail closures, visit the park’s trail status webpage. For more information about recreating in bear country, please visit the park’s bear safety webpage.
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