I’ve been guiding in Glacier National Park since 2019, and one thing I’ve learned is that no two days are ever the same.
This particular tour started with eight guests comprised of a family of three and a group of five ladies that all seemed to be getting along alright but this quickly turned into a day where they would never forget Glacier National Park or each other.
At first glance, it appeared to be an American black bear.
Now, wildlife is never guaranteed but it’s always a treat (even for guides) and nothing brings out the smiles like Glacier’s bears. You rarely see bears right along the road in this part of the park, as soon as I saw it, I told everyone in the van that there was a bear ahead and started explaining that this was an American Black Bear.
As we slowly got closer, though, I started noticing some details.
The rounded ears.
The shorter snout.
The powerful shoulders that seemed to rise into a noticeable hump.
The more I watched, the more I wondered if we might be looking at something much rarer.
Whatever it was, the bear paid almost no attention to us. While I eased the van along at little more than walking speed, it continued grazing peacefully just a few yards away before eventually wandering back into the trees.
Once we got to the bear, it was completely unconcerned that we were there in the way that only an animal at the top of the food chain can act. This allowed everyone in the van to get great pics while I kept us on the road at 1 MPH.
For every person on board, it was the closest wildlife encounter they’d ever experienced.
Later that afternoon we stopped for lunch inside the historic Lake McDonald Lodge, which had just opened for the season. As everyone compared photos and looked more closely at what we’d captured, our conversation kept coming back to the same question:
The more we studied the photos, the more those grizzly characteristics stood out. While wildlife identification isn’t always straightforward from a roadside encounter, we all left believing we’d likely witnessed something pretty special.
By then, though, the bear had almost become secondary. It didn’t matter.
The family and the group of five ladies were laughing together, sharing pictures, exchanging phone numbers, and talking about the rest of their trips. Someone suggested taking one last group photo before we left so they’d always remember the day.
Before we left, the two groups were no longer strangers. They were swapping phone numbers, sharing photos, and making plans to stay in touch. Someone suggested we take a group photo together so everyone would remember the day.
hat’s one of my favorite parts of being a guide.
Sometimes the unforgettable memories come from the wildlife!
Sometimes they come from the people you meet along the way!
It was our first bear of this season, but surely not the last…
Dan Hughes has been a tour guide at Tour Glacier since 2023.