Runner collides with a young grizzly bear on Montana trail, park officials say

A woman in her 30s running on a Glacier National Park trail with friends Saturday morning collided with a young grizzly bear, park officials say.

The woman and bear tumbled off the Huckleberry Lookout Trail, and the bear ran away, The Great Falls Tribune reported.

The Kalispell, Montana, woman rejoined her two companions and walked back to the trailhead to report the encounter to rangers, according to KECI. She suffered minor injuries in the fall.

Rangers say no further action is planned since it appears to be a surprise encounter, The Flathead Beacon reported.

Warnings about bear encounters have been posted on the trail, rangers wrote on Twitter.

“While taking a jog or a run may be good exercise, joggers and runners run the risk of surprising a bear on the trail,” rangers wrote in a release. “Trail running is highly discouraged.”

Rangers advise hikers to travel in groups, carry bear spray and make noise to warn off bears, the release says. Glacier National Park is home to both black and grizzly bears.

The last bear-related injury at the park took place in August 2016 when an off-duty employee surprised a bear while collecting huckleberries, The Flathead Beacon reported.

This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Runner collides with a young grizzly bear on Montana trail, park officials say."