Recent bear attacks ramp up trail safety for pets near Mount Baker

CRAIG PARRISH

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Bears have attacked two dogs that were not on their leashes this week, so hikers are advised to use extra caution while in the Mount Baker Ranger District.

Magenta Widner, forestry technician at the Glacier Public Service Center, said it�s imperative that dog owners keep their pets on a leash and as close as possible.

�The information about one of the (attacks) is spotty, but the owners did have the dog off the leash and not within their sight,� Widner said. �The second dog was actually attacked by a bear and injured.

TOUR BAGLEY LAKE TRAIL

Russ Kendall, photography editor at The Bellingham Herald, recently hiked the Bagley Lake Loop near Mt. Baker Ski Area. To take a panoramic tour around at several points along the loop, click here.
Please note: The images are produced as a QuickTime movie, so you'll need the free plug-in to view them. If you don't already have QuickTime installed on your computer, click here to download a free copy.

�We always recommend that if a dog is going to be with you, keep it on a leash. Even if it�s not attacked, the dog could bring an angry bear back to you.�

Widner cited as an example the Heather Meadows area, long a popular spot for hikers. It�s a developed area, Widner said, so dogs are required to be on a leash.

�In developed areas like Heather Meadows the rules are a little more strict, because there�s such heavy, concentrated use,� Widner said.

PATIENCE ON THE ROAD

Although Mount Baker Highway (State Route 542) is open to Artist Point, drivers can expect delays of five to 10 minutes at milepost 28 due to road construction, according to a press release from the Mount Baker Ranger District.

There still is snow on the Artist Ridge, Table Mountain, Ptarmigan Ridge, Lake Ann and Chain Lakes trails, but all trailheads except Church Mountain are accessible. Hikers shouldn�t be affected by snow, as the trails are generally clear, according to the release.

SPEAKER SERIES CONTINUES

The Heather Meadows guest speaker series continues at noon Saturday, Aug. 23, with �Stringing the Past Together,� a musical presentation about the human history of the Mount Baker area. The show includes original songs performed by Jimmy Brite and wilderness ranger Luca Williams.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, mountain steward and former Komo Kulshan Native Plant Society club president Walt Lockwood will lead a guided plant walk around Bagley Lakes.

At noon Sunday, Aug. 24, historian and author Virginia Hoyt presents a slide show �Mount Baker, the Stories Behind the Beauty: Reminisces of Jake Steiner,� about the origins of area roads.

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POSTED: Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008

Recent bear attacks ramp up trail safety for pets near Mount Baker

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