Staying safe in the parks

The hubby pointed two articles out to me today in the paper that were related to the national parks and how important it is to heed the warnings out there for staying safe in the parks.

The first article (click here) mentions that the body of a man who died after being swept over a waterfall in Yosemite National Park has been found. This individual and two others from his church group crossed over the safety barricade at Vernal Falls on July 20th. The other two bodies still haven't been found and rangers say the only reason one body was found was because of low water.


Guys, this is a big no-no. What you might consider to be the perfect shot is not worth your life.  Guard rails and barricades are up for a reason. When it comes to water features in the parks, you will never be a proper judge of how swift the water is. So, don't step into them!! There are lots of great cliffs, canyons, and rock formations. You never know when there will be loose rocks, so be careful around those too. The park is great about putting up warning signs, so follow them. My favorites were those around the geysers in Yellowstone National park. Was I amused by this sign, most definitely. But, is it trying to prove a point, heck yes it is, don't step on the geysers!!

Another safety concern in the parks are interactions with animals. This second article (click here) is about a hiker being mauled in Glacier National Park. Fortunately, he was able to walk for help. Unfortunately, this was not the case for another hiker in Yellowstone. Approximately a month ago, a man and his wife surprised a momma bear and her cubs on a trail and the momma bear attacked and killed the man. You can read more about this story here (click here). This most recent attack involved a momma bear with her cub too.

All animals in the parks should be considered dangerous, but momma animals with their babies should be considered especially dangerous. No animals should ever be approached!! If you see an animal on the trail, keep a safe distance and watch where it goes before moving on. Just some examples of how I have handled animal encounters or have gone about preventing them.

1) Hubby and I were hiking the Lake Jenny trail in the Tetons. When on the trail, we noticed a young moose ahead. We made sure to keep a safe distance from it since we did not know if a mother moose would be nearby. An angry momma moose is NOT something you want to mess with. They can reach 600-800 pounds. We watched the young moose and it eventually wandered off and we continued on our way. Here is a pic of the guy I was able to capture at a safe distance.

2) On hubby and I's first night in Yellowstone, there was a bison hanging out in the Madison Campground. Once again we kept a safe distance. Here is an interesting fact for you, more people are injured in Yellowstone by bison each year than by bear. They make look like big fluffy cows, but they will hurt you!!  The guy we saw was just lounging about and chewing on grass and eventually moved on.

Me pointing at the bison from a safe distance.

3) Two bits of info here. When hubby and I were hiking to Grizzly Lake, it was considered a back country trail, which means it wasn't well traveled. Anytime you are hiking in bear country, you want to make sure you let the bears know you are coming. One thing you should do is make noise. Hubby and I made sure to talk loudly the entire time. You can also go as far as buying bear bells so you can jingle all along the trail. There are several other precautions you should take if you actually encounter a bear in person. This article (click here) gives lots of good information.

While on the trail, we encountered a yellow-bellied marmot. The thing was cute, but once again, we kept a safe distance. You never know how an animal will react. But this marmot sure did like posing for my camera.

4) Speaking of bears, if you are in a park that has a bear box, use it!! You don't want a bear sniffing around your campsite. Additionally, pick up all other items when they aren't in use and put it in the bear box or in the car.

5) Lastly, the ponies in Assateague National Seashore. So many people go up to pet these creatures, which isn't cool. The National Park Service has a page of information about how to view these horses safely (click here). Getting too close to the horses poses a danger to you and the ponies.

These folks are getting too close.

So, overall be safe!! If you want to enjoy the National Parks, take the time to follow all safety rules and suggestions.