My First Grizzly Encounter... In the Campground!

I awoke Thursday morning in Harden, MT with the plan to drive up to Calgary to put me within a reasonable drive to Jasper NP. I had a great burger (native cattle!) before getting over the border into Alberta early afternoon. I turned on the radio to the CBC and found that massive wildfires in British Columbia had caused a smoke-out in Calgary, Lake Louise and Jasper NP. It was so bad that the Minister of Health hade recommended against outdoor exercise. It didn't take long for me to decide I needed a Plan B.

I decided to alter course and head to Waterton National Park which is adjacent to Glacier, just over the Canadian border. It turned out to be a great choice as my future posts indicate. I am just glad that long days of driving are largely now behind me for a while as I settle in.

Thursday evening, after setting up camp at Crandell Campground, I took a walk around the campground near dusk and as I turned a corner. There was a mother grizzly bear and her cub at a range of about 100 feet. Of course, I didn't have the bear spray yet, but I followed the instructions that I had been given. Speak in low tones, avoid eye contact and back away slowly and leave the area. Thank goodness it worked... But you know, the first order of business in the morning is to buy bear spray.