Glacier National Park’s Highline Trail Claims Life of 73-Year-Old Iowa Hiker

A tragic accident on one in all Montana’s hottest mountaineering locations claimed the lifetime of a 73-year-old Iowa girl this week. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the hazards that may lurk on even well-traveled trails in our nationwide parks.

Park officers report that Diane Bunker of Muscatine, Iowa, died Wednesday after struggling deadly accidents from a 450-foot fall on the infamous Highline Path. The accident occurred between Huge Bend and Triple Arches, two key landmarks alongside the scenic however perilous route that pulls hundreds of holiday makers yearly.

Based on park officers, Bunker was mountaineering with a big group round 11 a.m. when she tripped and fell off the sting of the path, disappearing from sight of her mountaineering companions. The Highline Path is infamous for its slim, cliff-side sections with steep drop-offs and cable handrails that problem even skilled hikers.

Two Bear Air rescue companies shortly responded to the scene and situated Bunker beneath the path. She was recovered and transported to the Apgar horse corrals earlier than being transferred to the Flathead County coroner. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was quickly closed from Logan Pass to Big Bend for roughly one hour throughout the restoration operation.

This newest fatality marks the twenty fourth deadly fall at Glacier National Park since its institution in 1901. The newest prior incident occurred simply final month on July 9, when 42-year-old Brian Astle of Provo, Utah, fell whereas descending a steep, off-trail climbing route on Mount Gould, which sits above the Highline Path.

 Social media responses to information of the accident mirror the path’s intimidating nature. “Right now there isn’t a approach a path this slim and harmful could be allowed to be minimize out of the aspect of a cliff,” wrote one hiker on a web based discussion board. “There are numerous high-exposure sections all through the path the place you can’t fall; or it could virtually definitely imply loss of life,” famous one other skilled hiker who described the path as completely not appropriate for kids because of its cliff publicity.

Whereas drowning stays the most typical explanation for loss of life in Glacier Nationwide Park, falls proceed to pose a major risk to guests. The incident additionally comes simply days after one other park customer was significantly injured in a bear assault, highlighting the varied hazards that outdoorsmen face on this unforgiving wilderness.

For these planning to sort out the Highline Path or related difficult routes, park officers stress the significance of correct preparation, staying alert, and sustaining situational consciousness. The path’s gorgeous alpine surroundings and wildlife viewing alternatives make it a bucket-list vacation spot for a lot of hikers, however the latest tragedy underscores that nature doesn’t discriminate relating to hazard.

Park officers have expressed their honest condolences to Bunker’s household and have requested that the general public respect their privateness throughout this troublesome time. An investigation into the incident stays ongoing.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning outside journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Impartial Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e-mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com