Grizzly Bear Involved in Yellowstone Hiker’s Death

Preliminary results of the investigation into the recent death of a hiker in Yellowstone National Park show that the man was attacked by a grizzly bear. While the exact cause of death has not been determined, investigators have identified what appear to be defensive wounds on the victim’s forearms. The victim’s body was found partially consumed and cached, or covered, in the vicinity of the Elephant Back Loop Trail near Lake Village on Friday afternoon. Based on partial tracks found at the scene, it appears that an adult female grizzly and at least one cub-of-the-year were present and likely involved in the incident.

The name of the individual is being withheld pending family notification. The Montana man was a long-term seasonal employee of Medcor, the company that operates three urgent care clinics in the park. He had worked and lived in Yellowstone for five seasons and was an experienced hiker. He was reported missing on Friday morning when he did not report for work. A park ranger found his body in a popular off-trail area he was known to frequent, approximately .5 miles from the Elephant Back Loop Trail. Additional park rangers and wildlife biologists responded to the scene and gathered evidence for bear DNA recovery. The investigation will continue, although heavy rains in the area Friday evening and Saturday morning have made additional evidence recovery difficult. A forensic autopsy is currently scheduled for Monday.

Wildlife biologists set bear traps in the area on Friday evening. If bears are trapped and identified as having been involved in the attack, they will be euthanized. “We may not be able to conclusively determine the circumstances of this bear attack, but we will not risk public safety,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim as they work to cope with the loss of someone who loved Yellowstone so very much.”

The Elephant Back Loop Trail and immediate area is closed until further notice. Signs are posted and maps of the closure area are available at park visitor centers.

All of Yellowstone National Park is considered bear country. Hikers are advised to stay on designated trails, travel in groups of three or more people, carry bear spray, be alert for bears, and make noise to help avoid surprise encounters.You can find more information on hiking in bear country by clicking here.



Jeff
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Proposal to Replace the St Mary Entrance Station and Install AIS Station

Glacier National Park officials encourage public comment on a proposal to replace the St. Mary Entrance Station and install an aquatic invasive species (AIS) inspection station.

As part of ongoing rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the roadway near the St. Mary entrance will be widened to better accommodate vehicle circulation. The plan and environmental compliance for this project was completed in 2003 as part of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Going-to-the-Sun Road Rehabilitation. Since that time, new information concerning the entrance station has resulted in the need to take a different action than was previously described.

The St. Mary Visitor Center and Entrance Station were built in 1967-68 and reflect important elements of the park’s historic architecture. These structures were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Today, the entrance station poses a number of functionality issues, including incompatibility with installation of new technology, faulty wiring, leaks, and poor vehicle circulation. The park is proposing to replace the St. Mary Entrance Station in order to provide a safe and functional work environment, improve vehicle circulation, and meet accessibility standards. The new entrance station architectural design would complement the St. Mary Visitor Center.

Aquatic invasive species continue to be a serious concern. Therefore, the park is also proposing to install an AIS inspection station near the St. Mary entrance. No-native aquatic organisms can cause serious impacts to lakes and rivers, potentially affecting entire ecosystems, human health, and the local economy. To address this threat, the park began an AIS inspection program in 2010. The park’s program is part of an effort throughout the Crown of the Continent, with agencies working together to protect aquatic resources.

Construction for both of these proposals would be concurrent with the Going-to-the-Sun Road rehabilitation in the area.

The Montana State Historic Preservation Office has preliminarily concurred with the park’s determination that replacing the entrance station and installing an AIS inspection station would have an adverse effect on the St. Mary Visitor Center, but would not affect the visitor center’s eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Under the proposed action, the park would work with the Montana State Historic Preservation Office to mitigate the adverse effect.

The park believes the project could be categorically excluded and does not require the preparation of an environmental assessment. Public comment is encouraged to determine if there is any new information or additional concerns that might result in the need for additional analysis. Public comment is also encouraged on the anticipated determination of adverse effect under Section 106 of National Historic Preservation Act.

The public scoping brochure contains additional information about this project and is available on the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/StMaryEntrance. Comments can be posted to this webpage or mailed to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: St. Mary Entrance Station Replacement, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, MT, 59936. Comments are due by August 21, 2015.



Jeff
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Glacier Park Continues to Experience Record Visitation

Glacier National Park continues to see record visitation. According to visitor-use statistics, the park’s year-to-date visitation has increased over 11% from this time in 2014. Last year was a record year for visitation with 2.3 million visitors to Glacier National Park.

Glacier National Park visitation for July 2015 was one-half percent lower than visitation for July 2014.

The St. Mary Entrance recorded approximately 20% fewer visitors in July 2015 than in July 2014. The east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road has been inaccessible due to the Reynolds Creek Fire. It is likely that this closure has impacted visitation at the east entrance to the park, but overall park visitation remains high.

Peak visitation at Glacier National Park is in July and August.



Jeff
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Hiker Found Dead In Yellowstone

An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of death of a hiker found in the vicinity of the Elephant Back Loop Trail in the Lake Village area of Yellowstone National Park.

Around noon on Friday, August 7, a park ranger found the body of a Montana man who had been reported missing by co-workers that morning. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family members.

The Elephant Back Loop Trail and immediate area is closed to hikers while the investigation continues. Although there were signs of grizzly bear activity in the area, a conclusive cause of death, which likely occurred on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning, has yet to be determined.

Hikers are advised to stay on designated trails, leave an itinerary with others, hike in groups of three or more people, be alert for bears, make noise, and carry bear spray.



Jeff
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East-side Going-to-the-Sun Road Open

The east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is open to vehicle access from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Drivers should drive cautiously and be aware of firefighting activities along the road due to the Reynolds Creek Fire.

Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow said, "In consultation with the incident management team managing the Reynolds Creek Fire, we have opened the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road for visitor vehicle travel from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily."

There will be no visitor travel during the evening, night and early morning hours. Mow said, "We believe the night closure is in the best interest of the firefighters working in the area and the visitor. He said access may increase or decrease according to fire activity and safety.

Smoke may be visible and may reduce visibility at times, so visitors are required to drive slowly. Active fire may be visible from the road, and visitors should watch for falling debris such as rocks and tree limbs, as well as fire-weakened trees. Almost 500 hazard trees, fire-weakened trees, have been removed from along the road. If anyone sees or encounters debris or fallen trees on the road, do not attempt to remove it, but please report it to a ranger or closest visitor center.

Firefighters will be working and firefighting equipment will be staged along the road. Visitors will not be able to stop or park along the road or in pullouts between the St. Mary Campground and Siyeh Bend. However, the Rising Sun area will have limited access to concession operations. Siyeh Bend is located approximately one mile east of Logan Pass.

Bicycle travel is not allowed in the fire areas, but cyclists may transport their bikes via the park shuttle system. The park shuttle service will operate as normal, although there will be no shuttle stops in the fire area. The only shuttle stops on the east side at this time will be Rising Sun and Siyeh Bend.

The Glacier Boat Company will resume boat tour operations at Rising Sun. The Rising Sun Camp Store operated by Glacier National Park Lodges will reopen on Saturday, August 8, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. The Rising Sun Motor Inn and the Two Dog Flats Grill will remain closed at this time.

The Rising Sun Campground is anticipated to be closed most of the season.

Road rehabilitation work on the Going-to-the-Sun that was happening before the fire will continue, and visitors may encounter delays.

An alternate to the Going-to-the-Sun Road is U.S. Highway 2 along the southern boundary of the park. Alternate transportation options for traveling the Going-to-the-Sun Road include the park's free shuttle system or concession-operated interpretive tours with Glacier National Park Lodge's Red Buses or Sun Tours Cultural Tours.

Access to trails on the east side of the park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road is limited. All trails within the fire perimeter are closed. The Piegan Pass Trail from Siyeh Bend is open for hiking to the north, but not accessible to the south. The Siyeh Pass Trail is only open to Siyeh Pass, and is closed towards Baring Creek. The Gunsight Pass Trail remains closed from the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Gunsight Pass. Trails accessing St. Mary, Virginia, and Baring Creek Falls are closed. Please check the on-line trail status information or ask a park ranger at one of the park's visitor centers.

Ranger-led programs are available and listed here.

The park's visitor centers are open and hours are as follows:

Apgar Visitor Center 8 a.m. –6 p.m.
Logan Pass Visitor Center 9 a.m. –7 p.m.
St. Mary Visitor Center 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.



Jeff
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