"We're confident that she's going to be released this week," said hospital spokesman Jim Oliverson. "She's apparently quite a remarkable young lady, and she's really won the hearts of the nurses here."
Beyond Oliverson's brief description, little is known about the teen, whose family has carefully guarded her privacy since the incident Thursday.
They were about two miles above Lake Josephine on the Grinnell Glacier trail, hiking up steep switchbacks when they rounded a blind curve and encountered the bear about 5 feet away, rangers reported.
The bear charged, and during the attack, both father and daughter fell from the trail, dropping between 30 and 50 feet down the steep mountainside.
Both suffered injuries not only during the attack but also in the subsequent fall.
Although the attack occurred at about 9 a.m., rugged terrain complicated rescue efforts, and neither victim reached Kalispell Regional until late afternoon.
Hospital sources said the father was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle late Thursday night for specialized treatment, including a plastic surgeon's expertise.
A spokeswoman there said he was improving, in serious condition but stable, and conscious Monday afternoon, with no prediction about when he might be released.
The bear and its two cubs have reportedly left the area and have not been spotted since the encounter. The trail, as well as others around Lake Josephine, remains closed while rangers continue to investigate the attack.
It was the first attack by a grizzly bear in Glacier Park this year.
Reporter Michael Jamison can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 or mjamison@missoulian.com
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)