Going-to-the-Sun Road Restrictions Lifted

The night closure on the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park has been lifted. The entire 52 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are open to vehicle access.

Visitors will not be able to stop or park along the road in the Reynolds Creek Fire area on the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and are reminded to drive cautiously in the area. Firefighters and equipment will continue to be staged along the road. Firefighters continue to mop up, patrol, and monitor the fire area. Two 20-person crews, three engines, and one helicopter are assigned to the fire at this time.

Smoke may be visible and may reduce visibility at times, so visitors are required to drive slowly within the fire area along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. 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.

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, Jackson Glacier Overlook, and Siyeh Bend.

Bicycle travel is now permitted on the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The Glacier Boat Company is offering daily boat tours at Rising Sun. The Rising Sun Camp Store operated by Glacier National Park Lodges is open 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.

The Gunsight Pass Trail and the Gunsight Lake Backcountry Campground are open. The St. Mary Lake Trail, and access to St Mary, Virginia and Baring Falls are still closed. The Otokomi Lake Trail is also closed. All trails within the fire perimeter are closed. Please check the on-line trail status information here or ask a park ranger at one of the park’s visitor centers.

Road rehabilitation work on the Going-to-the-Sun is on-going, and visitors may encounter delays.



Jeff
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Black bears break into Red Lodge area homes & vehicles

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is investigating a number of incidents in which black bears have broken into homes and cars in the Red Lodge area during the past few days.

A small black bear that has been getting into trouble in the Red Lodge area for the past year recently escalated its activity by breaking into two homes in the south end of town. And FWP game wardens have fielded reports this week of black bears breaking into at least two cars and damaging two motorcycles both south and north of Red Lodge.

In all instances, it is apparent that the bears are finding food and becoming acclimated to humans, a combination that can lead to dangerous conflicts between bears and people.

FWP is asking Red Lodge area residents to be diligent in removing any opportunity for bears to seek or find food in or around their homes and vehicles.

Precautions include removing anything that smells like food, including pet food and garbage, from vehicles. And, until the animals have left the area, residents should close and lock windows and doors to their homes to keep bears out and to keep cooking odors from escaping and attracting wildlife.

Residents should store all garbage, barbecue grills, pet food and horse pellets in a locked building. They should remove all bird feeders from their yards and clean up apples, berries and other potential food sources from their yard.

During late summer and fall, bears instinctively are trying to add fat reserves for their winter hibernation. If they do not find food in one location, they will look elsewhere. If Red Lodge homes, businesses and vehicles are clean and bear-proofed, the animals will move on to somewhere else to find food.



Jeff
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Grizzly Bear Involved in Yellowstone Hiker's Death Euthanized

Results from an autopsy conducted on Monday afternoon concluded that Lance Crosby, a 63 year old Billings man, died as a result of traumatic injuries sustained from a bear attack. Results from genetic (DNA) analysis of bear hair samples collected next to Crosby’s body confirmed the adult female grizzly bear that was captured at the scene on the night the body was discovered was the bear involved in the fatal attack. Additional support beyond the DNA evidence that this female was the bear involved in the attack include: the bear and cubs were at the attack site when Crosby’s body was found by park rangers; bear tracks of a female with cubs were found at Crosby’s body; this bear was captured at the fatality site within 24 hours of the body being found; and canine puncture wounds inflicted on the victim are consistent with the bite size of the female captured at the site.

Based on the totality of the evidence, this adult female grizzly was the bear involved in the fatality and was euthanized today. An important fact in the decision to euthanize the bear was that a significant portion of the body was consumed and cached with the intent to return for further feeding. Normal defensive attacks by female bears defending their young do not involve consumption of the victim’s body.

Arrangements have been made to transfer the bear’s two cubs to a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The AZA sets strict standards for facilities with regard to animal handling and care. Details of this placement are still being finalized. The facility is expected to make an announcement on Friday.

“As managers of Yellowstone National Park, we balance the preservation of park resources with public safety,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk. “Our decision takes into account the facts of the case, the goals of the bear management program, and the long term viability of the grizzly bear population as a whole, rather than an individual bear.”

The area closures, including the Elephant Back Loop Trail and Natural Bridge Trail will be lifted on Friday, August 14.

All of Yellowstone is bear country. Hikers are encouraged to travel in groups of three or more, always carry bear spray that is readily accessible, make noise on the trail, and be alert for bears. Per park regulations, people are required to maintain a minimum distance of at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards from all other large animals. For more information on hiking in bear country and how to minimize the dangers associated with a bear encounter, click here or here.



Jeff
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Two Fatigued Climbers Rescued from Middle Teton

On Tuesday evening, August 11th, Grand Teton National Park rangers conducted a short-haul rescue of two uninjured, yet considerably fatigued, climbers from the Middle Teton. Nick Christu, 64, and his brother Eric Christu, 57, from Palm Beach, Florida, decided they were not able to continue their climb after getting off route while attempting to ascend the 'Dike Route' on the Middle Teton. Unable to locate the top of the Dike Pinnacle, a prominent feature of the route, the Christu brothers began down climbing and rappelling towards the South Fork of Garnet Canyon. Due to their uncertainty about the terrain they encountered, combined with their state of exhaustion, the Christus called park rangers at mid-afternoon to request a rescue from their predicament.

Upon receiving the first call for help at approximately 3:45 p.m., rangers made several attempts via cell phone to direct the Christu brothers into easier terrain so they could continue their descent. Those efforts failed due to the climbers' level of fatigue and their inability to keep moving. Continued requests by the climbers for a rescue, combined with concern regarding their mental and physical state, prompted park rangers to determine that the best option for the Christu brothers' safety would be to short-haul the pair off the mountain. A Teton Interagency contract helicopter was summoned, and the ship arrived at the Jenny Lake Rescue Cache at 5:00 p.m. One ranger was inserted via short-haul to prepare the climbers for an aerial rescue by placing them in an evacuation harness. The climbers were then flown in separate trips and delivered to the rescue cache at Lupine Meadows. The rescue mission concluded at 7:40 p.m.

Short-haul is a rescue technique where an individual is placed in either an evacuation harness or a rescue litter and suspended below the helicopter on a 100 to 200 foot rope. This method is often used in the Teton Range where conditions make it difficult to land a helicopter due to the rugged and vertical terrain.

Although many climbers consider the Dike Route—rated 5.5 –5.6 on the Yosemite Decimal System—to be an easy route, those attempting this option should note that it includes almost 3,000 vertical feet of climbing through complex terrain. Parties descending the route from points other than the summit of the Middle Teton (elevation 12,804 feet) must be prepared for attentive route finding through loose rock that is much more challenging and complicated than the standard descent route via the Southwest Couloir.

The Christu brothers reported to park rangers that they have 39 years of climbing experience in the Teton Range.

Grand Teton National Park rangers have underscored the point that calling for a rescue is a serious request, with the outcome never guaranteed. It is important for climbers and backcountry travelers to recognize the risk they are creating to others when requesting a rescue.



Jeff
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Thompson Fire Spreads East - Grows to 14,900 Acres

The Thompson Fire expanded east yesterday and today into the higher elevations of the upper Nyack Creek area, located in the south-central region of Glacier National Park. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Thompson Fire is now estimated to be 14,900 acres. Dry vegetation coupled with high temperatures and low humidity resulted in extreme fire behavior and fire growth yesterday and today. The smoke plume has been visible from many locations on both sides of the Continental Divide.

A Type III Interagency Incident Command Team has been working with Glacier National Park to manage the fire using a contain and confine strategy. A Type II Incident Management Team has been ordered and will assume command of the fire tomorrow morning.

The safety of public and incident personnel is the highest priority on all incidents. At this time, ground resources cannot be safely used due to the remote, rugged terrain and the lack of safety zones in the area. The National Park Service’s Upper and Lower Nyack Backcountry Patrol Cabins remain threatened by the fire.

Yesterday’s fire activity has prompted expansion of the trail and campground closure order. The fire has now resulted in a handful of day hiking trails being closed, including, Medicine Grizzly Lake Trail, Dawson Pass Trail, North Shore of Two Medicine Lake, Pitamakin Pass and the Upper Two Medicine Lake Trail. For the most up-to-date information on the expanded trail and area closure statuses, click here.

As of Wednesday, August 12, campfires will not be allowed in the backcountry of Glacier National Park. Campfires will continue to be allowed only in designated sites in frontcountry campgrounds. Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect for Northwest Montana

The Reynolds Creek Fire also continues to burn within the fire perimeter on the east side of the park. For more information on this fire, please click here.

Although three wildfires are currently burning in Glacier, the rest of the park is still open with tons of outstanding hiking opportunities still available. Remember, the park is more than one million acres in size, and there's still plenty of epic Glacier National Park scenery to explore. For more information on many of the hikes in these areas, please click here.



Jeff
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