Animal Dangers to Hikers in Glacier National Park

I'm not an Emily Post wannabe or anything, but there are animals that hikers really should fear in Glacier National Park where I worked in 1968 and 1969.  And I'm sure these risks are no better.   Grizzly bears are notorious but I never saw any of them at Glacier so I'm not covering them here.   I have a picture to demonstrate, however, that other large animals - which you are likely to see - can put you at risk.

This shows me on the Highline Trail along the Garden Wall in Glacier at the proper distance from a Hoary Marmot, a local rodent.  I'm a little to far away for an attack.

This poor young woman got too close, or at least her lunch did.  The animal is shown in mid-attack.  One must keep a safe distance from this potentially dangerous species.

The horse riding concession at Glacier is a bit risky for hikers, who have to get out of the way occasionally. The riders are in more danger but the young things don't know any better and generally enjoy trapsing through the mountains on horseback without distress.

I'm fairly sure these mountain sheep were on the Highline Trail too - it probably was the same day as the attack of the marmot.  They're capable to doing great damage - I wouldn't butt heads with them - but they aren't likely to allow you close enough to pet them.

I lugged a twin-lens mamiyaflex - a big clunky camera with a good lens and huge film - on hikes the two summers I lived and worked at Glacier.  It was worth it to catch this detail.   Now let us not overdo the risks of large Glacier mammals - it would be a silly excuse to pass up one of the incomparable Glacier hikes.