Vol 2, # 109

   Wednesday, October 28, 1998

YELLOWSTONE
WEATHER
Highs 40s, Lows 10s
Partly Cloudy
More Weather
Road Conditions

Yellowstone Net Home Page

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK (NPS) --   Glacier National Park Chief Ranger Steve Frye has announced that at about 2 PM on Saturday, October 24 a couple was attacked and injured by a grizzly bear while hiking on the Cracker Lake Trail near Many Glacier Valley.

The hikers, Tracy Pelland, 23, and her husband Matt Pelland, 26, of East Glacier, Montana, were about one mile from Cracker Lake when they encountered an adult grizzly bear at close range. They first saw the bear at a distance of about 50 feet as it was running toward them.

According to Frye, the bear attacked Mrs. Pelland first, knocking her to the ground and biting her left thigh. Mr. Pelland, trying to attract the bear's attention away from his wife, ran approximately 20 feet off the trail and fell in thick subalpine fir. The bear attacked, biting him in the left calf and clawing his right leg while he proceeded to spray the bear in the face with an entire can of pepper spray.

The bear ran off and returned to Mrs. Pelland who was retreating down a hill. She assumed the fetal position after the bear knocked her down. During this second attack, she sustained puncture wounds, lacerations, and abrasions primarily to her left side and shoulder as the bear rolled her over. She also received puncture wounds on her head. The grizzly bear reportedly lay on her for a short time before leaving the immediate area. Following the attack, the bear left the vicinity and was not seen again.

Mrs. Pelland told rangers she remained on the trail for about 30 minutes, lying quietly until she was confident that the bear was no longer in the area. She estimated the entire attack lasted less than a minute-and-a-half.

Seeking help, Mr. Pelland bushwhacked down the creek until he found the Crack Lake Trail and hiked four-and-a-half miles back to the Many Glacier developed area where he reported the incident to a Glacier Park Incorporated employee who then called 911. Park rangers responded and provided emergency medical treatment.

At the same time, rangers were initiating helicopter and ground search crews to find Mrs. Pelland. Just as rangers were preparing to depart Many Glacier for Cracker Lake, she walked out alone under her own power. After initial first aid treatment by rangers, both she and her husband were transported by ground ambulance to the Indian Health Service Hospital in Browning where they were treated and released Saturday night.

The East Glacier couple is experienced in backcountry travel and frequently hikes in Glacier National Park. Although they were making noise and paying close attention for sign of bear activity, it appears, they surprised the bear at close range. The Pellands also told rangers that there was no breeze Saturday afternoon.

Frye stated that park rangers investigated the scene on Sunday. October 25. A tan-colored grizzly bear believed to be the bear involved in the attack, and two light-colored cubs of the year were observed on the slopes above Cracker Lake.

Based on observations during Sunday's investigation and the description of the attack, rangers are confident it was a defensive response by the female to protect her cubs. Park officials are contemplating no management actions against the bears; however, the trail to Cracker Lake will likely remain closed for the rest of the season.

In responding to this incident, Blackfeet Tribal Police assisted park rangers along with the Glacier County Sheriff's Department and the Browning ambulance.

"All visitors are reminded that black and grizzly bears are still very active at this time of year. Efforts by bears this autumn to build fat reserves necessary to sustain them through the winter are extremely important as well as more difficult because of the scarcity of natural food," said Frye.

He concluded that park users, especially backcountry hikers and campers, are also urged to check at ranger stations or with park rangers for current information on bear activity, to follow all recommendations for hiking in bear country, and to report all bear sightings in a timely manner at ranger stations, visitor centers or with other park personnel.

BACK TO TOP

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS

Ralph Maughn
Kim Steinbacher
Kevin Sanders
Steve Brashear
Clint Wilkes
Tim Gourley
Hon. Bob Gammage
Ruth Colter-Frick
Lee Whittlesey
Tom Mazzarisi
Russ Finley
David Monteith
Denise Elmer
Dr. Robert Bara

BILLINGS, Mont. (YNET) --This is the first of several columns I will do on Bob and Annamarie Bara. The great thing about writing your own column (and owning the Newspaper) is when you meet truly remarkable people you can write a story about them. You may remember a previous column where when I spoke in Chicago for the McKinley Park Library annual fundraiser my hosts were Dr. and Mrs. Bara. Well, they are now Bob and Annamarie. Bob and I have been keeping in contact via email. He and Annamarie are HUGE Yellowstone fans even having spent their honeymoon in the Park. Last week I met them at the new Snow Lodge and spent the entire afternoon with them. Later I will do columns on the new Snow Lodge and on our really cool waitress Adrienne from Yakama College in Washington. Today I want to tell how much fun I had with Bob and Annamarie.

First, I love to good-natured poke fun at my friends. Understand it's never anything but fun which no one is ever offended by, for example I call Bob Gammage a "big tumbleweed" and I call Robbie Risner my "favorite hero." Now I knew immediately upon meeting Annamarie that she was a lot like Dot Risner and if I were to attempt to kid with her then I would most likely wind up on the short end of the stick. Over the years I have never been able to pull a joke on Dot. Honestly, she is just too sharp for me! I could tell Annamarie was the same so why should I just set myself up?

Now Bob Bara is a different story! Once we set out on our first hike after lunch I immediately made one of my wise-acre comments. "Gee Bob, its great to have you on this hike in case one of us gets a toothache!" Bob is a brilliant dentist who both practices and teaches Dental Medicine so I thought this was a funny comment. Everyone laughed and we continued on our hike.

This entire day had been set up earlier as we were having lunch being served by Adrienne in the snow lodge. As the check had arrived I had quickly grabbed it and told Bob to "let me get
this, you can get dinner when I come to Chicago the next time." Since I know I am a lot sharper at being a wise-acre than Bob, little did he know I was actually setting him up---I am so smart! As I was reaching for the check I told Bob that I would get this check and he could take me out to dinner for some Lake Michigan lobster next time I'm in Chicago. I was surprised he agreed so quickly, because little did he realize how much I LOVE lobster and I can not wait to be sitting in a nice restaurant in Chicago and look up at my waiter and order my Lake Michigan lobster!

I guess I am bragging on myself a little to much because I really do like Bob and Annamarie a lot and I'm sure that one day Bob will come up with a way to pull a "fast one" on me but I can tell you right now he is going to have to get up pretty early in the morning to outsmart me.

Hmmmmm, I think I'll have extra butter on my Lake Michigan lobster!

BACK TO TOP

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- In 1922 Yellowstone celebrated its 50th anniversary.  The 1935 Haynes Guide recalls how the anniversary was celebrated:

"Ceremonies commemorating the Semi-Centennial year of the establishment of the park were held on July 14, 1922, at the foot of National Park Mountain near the junction of the Gibbon and Firehole rivers where in 1870, in the camp of the famous Washburn-Langford expedition, the "National Park idea" was born.   Mr. C.W. Cook of the Cook-Folsom expedition of 1869 attended in person.  Mr. Cornelius Hedges, Jr., and W.A. Hedges planted an evergreen tree to mark the spot where their father stood in 1870 when he proposed making this unequaled region a national park.   Public officials and prominent friends of the park were on the program.   Superintendent Horace M. Albright made a short address re-counting the historical development of the park, and read telegrams from President Warren G. Harding, Hon. Albert B. Fall, Secretary of the Interior, Hon. Stephen T. Mather, Director of the National Park Service, and other high officials."

BACK TO TOP

(ENN) -- Students and teachers will be able to participate in more hands-on learning at National Parks beginning this year at California's Point Reyes National Seashore. Superintendent Don Neubacher has announced that Point Reyes National Seashore in partnership with Tomales Middle School and Bolinas School will be participating in a training program for an innovative new educational partnership between the Exxon Corporation, the National Park Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association.

Click here for the full story from Environmental News Network.

BACK TO TOP