Mendenhall Bears?

[TomAndJane]

O.K. I know that seeing bears is by chance but we are going to be in Juneau Sept 8th. Assuming there may still be a salmon run, at Mendenhall Glacier which trail is better to see bears at: Moraine Ecology Trail or the Steep Creek Trail. I assume the Steep Creek Trail is the one right by the parking lot that has the raised viewing area. Correct?? I have read other places that the Moraine Ecology Trail also has raised areas for viewing and that is the better trail.

 

Thanks

[TomAndJane]

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[TR4]

hi, it's been a couple of years since we were there- so I can't remember the names of the trails, but I can tell you that the trail off the parking lot (left of the parking lot) is were we saw a mama and two cubs. The bears were fishing out of the stream. have fun

[Budget Queen]

It's NOT going to be a matter of trying to figure out WHAT trail the bears are going to be at. It doesn't work like that. They can be anywhere, Nugget trail, off East Loop also can have bear sightings. The new lake side trail, also would be worthwhile.

 

You will need to be OPEN, to investing an amount of time here, and luck.

[Loves to dance]

You might also want to talk to the people coming off the trails and ask them if they had bear sightings. Other folks having a sighting won't guarantee that you will, however it will give you an idea of where to keep an extra close eye out.

 

Please do be careful, though. While walking around blind corners, in the bushes, you want to make noise. As much as you want to see a bear, you do NOT want to have a close encounter with a bear. While on a short hike in Glacier National Park, we got a bit complacent about our bear calls. We were close to the parking lot and we hadn't seen any grizzly for the previous 4 days when we were in the back country back packing. Well, while we didn't actually see one, we certainly heard it go "hamumph" in the bushes behind us and then move off as we started to sing "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" to make sure that it knew that we were there. I have never had such an adrenaline surge in my life!

 

That same trip we also came across a family coming down off the side of a mountain at about a run, making lots of noise. They hadn't wanted to "scare off any bears," so they had been hiking silently. They came around a corner and found themselves face to face with a male grizzley that reared up on its hind legs to get a good look at them and then ambled off the trail. :eek: They were now convinced that they wanted for the grizzlies to hear them in advance! :)

[TomAndJane]

Thanks for the advice, we DON'T want to spook any bears that is for sure!!!!!! We will be with my parents celebrating their 50th anniversary so I doubt that the East Loop or Nugget Trail will be a choice. I was specifically asking about the Moraine Ecology Trail and if it is better than the trail right by the parking lot that has viewing areas. IIs steep creek the one right by the parking lot? Does Moraine have viewing areas also? What is the new Lake Side Trail that Budget Queen mentioned?

[Grannycb]

It was our experience at Mendenhall that the trail gets closed in the area of a bear sighting.

[tetons]

You may get lucky and as you get off the bus and are walking up the path to the center, a bear may walk right in front of you. That was an awesome experience until we realized how close we were. Just keep your eyes open all the time. There are bears to be seen where you least expect to see these. Watch on all bus tours, on the train, and just when walking. Good luck and hope you get some great pictures.

[TomAndJane]

You may get lucky and as you get off the bus and are walking up the path to the center, a bear may walk right in front of you. That was an awesome experience until we realized how close we were. Just keep your eyes open all the time. There are bears to be seen where you least expect to see these. Watch on all bus tours, on the train, and just when walking. Good luck and hope you get some great pictures.

 

Thanks and I will keep my eyes open!!. This will be our fourth time to Alaska but it has always been in May and we saw bears in Seward, Glacier Bay and even from the ship after leaving Skagway but never around Mendenhall. Taking my mom and dad for a 50th Anniversary gift and was just trying to get clarification on the Steep Creek Trail, etc. Would love for them to see a bear from a viewing area or some other safe place..haha:)