Grizzly Charges, Mauls Hiker On Glacier Trail

An off-duty National Park Service carpenter suffered puncture wounds Tuesday morning when he was mauled by a grizzly bear on a trail north of the Fifty Mountain campground in Glacier National Park.

Lester Ashwood and his wife, Rita, were charged by the bear at 8 a.m.

“The initial report was that he saw the bear from about 100 yards off, but at the time he saw the bear it was in a full charge towards him,” said Chief Ranger Steve Frye.

Ashwood was brought 1-1/2 miles back to the backcountry campground, where a hiker who happened to be an emergency medical technician tended to his injuries. Rita Ashwood hiked 12 miles to Granite Park Chalet and reported the incident to park personnel at 6:30 p.m.

Ashwood was on a helicopter by 7:45 p.m. He was in stable condition Tuesday night undergoing X-rays at Kalispell Regional Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

His injuries include puncture wounds to his neck, shoulder, hands and buttocks. None of the injuries appear life-threatening, park officials said.