Bear's Hump

If you have questions, comment or experiences in Waterton Park in Canada, please post them in this section, although Glacier is the Focus, Waterton is the sister that has much to offer.

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Mzambo
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Bear's Hump

Post by Mzambo »

Bear's Hump can kick your rump. A short but steep hike. But the views! WOW!!!!

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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by MYK »

I wish I was a young as you.

I hiked it a few weeks ago with my daughter and made it. Barely.

Too bad it was cloudy when we reached the top.
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by Mzambo »

MYK,

That is one short but tough hike!!!!! I wish you would have had clearer skies. When we were there this year it was extremely windy!! I can't imagine being at the top with those kind of winds. A beautiful place though isn't it?
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by MYK »

Last year I was in Banff with my wife and this year I went to Glacier with my daughter.

I'm sort of conflicted about these parks.

While they have beautiful scenery, there something about them (Banff & Waterton) that makes me uncomfortable. I feel national parks should be about nature and not about tourist towns.

In Banff I saw bears, big horn sheep and elk but Banff Townsite with it's very touristy main street wasn't for me. The only good part is the many restaurant choices.

In Waterton Lakes I wanted to see the hotel and do Bear's Hump so we went to the town. Sort of same thing.

In the American parks the only one that really bothered me is Yosemite. The most commercial park in the U.S.

Everything seems to be set up to try and sell you something. Even the various shuttle buses and rides. There's no urgency to fix broken buses on a free ride.

This was my first visit to Glacier. My wife has no interest in these type of trips. So, I've gone either alone, with my daughter or a friend who lives in Toronto.

I took my daughter this time (last year I took her and her daughter -my granddaughter and two years ago we went to Utah for three days) but she's married with an almost 6 year old and didn't want to leave them for too long. We negotiated 4 days plus travel.

I never got to Two Medicine or the west side.

I've already booked lodging for next summer in Glacier and I'm going with my friend. More days and we might even add a day in Banff and another in Jasper as we'll fly into and out of Calgary.

If you'd like to see photos of my trip(s) you can go to www.travelwalks.com

About Bear's Hump. I should have done this a lot younger. At 68 I can still go all day but those stairs were tough. Interesting that I also found Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier tough as well. Iceberg Lake was fine.
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by Selkie »

Mzambo - great photo! Glad you enjoyed the hike.

MYK - Canada's southern Rockies offer more than Banff (I too found the town disappointing; much bruited as a destination, but what's there?). If you have a few more days sometime, I would recommend the area around Field (Yoho National Park) for many spectacular day hikes or multi-day hikes. No downtown at all!
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by MYK »

selkie,
I may be able to add a couple of days to the end of next summer's Glacier trip.

I could go up and down Mt Norquay early and late. That's where I saw a few bears.

Spend some time just looking down at Moraine Lake that make Lake Louise look ordinary and then drive up and down to jasper and off a few roads where there is usually some wildlife.
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by trevbo »

While rock climbing today on the Bear's hump, my buddy Jim saw a small bear… we think we wandered past its winter den.

We climbed up 3 easy pitches and decided to scramble back to the hiking path below the lookout. As we were traversing below the last set of cliffs, James passed by an overhang with a crack that went into the rock, kind of like a cave. When he peaked inside, a small brown bear popped its head up at him and surprised him from just a few feet away.

"Hey, it's a bear cub!" he shouted suddenly. It was probably a yearling that was on its own, but I'm no bear expert and the prospect of surprising a groggy momma bear and cub was frightening, so I hurriedly hiked past the crack (lower down) without checking it out for myself. The terrain eased up shortly after that point and we bushwhacked down through the forest and were on the hiking trail within a few minutes. No bears gave pursuit, so it was an interesting end to a fun day!

More at http://trevorhelwig.blogspot.ca/2012/11 ... h2012.html
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by Selkie »

Nice bear story. Do you think the bears went in that crack, or perhaps had a different main entrance?
(I had thought your avatar photo was of a swing at the farthest point of its arc - fetching, no? - but now I guess it's a rock climbing thing. :D )

It must be neat to see Waterton and environs in non-tourist season.
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Re: Bear's Hump

Post by trevbo »

Do you think the bears went in that crack, or perhaps had a different main entrance?
I never looked at it close up but Jim indicated it was pretty small so probably a dead-end crack (but a small bear could probably crawl in a ways).
It must be neat to see Waterton and environs in non-tourist season.
The town itself basically gets boarded, up but you can still grab a drink at one or two establishments (Waterton Lakes Lodge is where we go these days now that the Kilmorey burned down). There are always deer and sheep in the townsite too... Once in awhile in winter you see a big herd of elk on the prairie (the first time I visited the park I saw a huge herd... I will see if I can find a photo...)
***edited to add photo***
Image Not the best pic but you get the idea (a scanned photo from my pre-digital cam days...)
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