Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
The aptly named Huckleberry Mountain is famous for the huckleberry bushes found along its trails. Unfortunately, besides hungry hikers, bears also frequent this area. So much so that, Backpacker Magazine named this hike one of America's 10 most dangerous hikes ( October 2008).
For us, fortunately, the hike was an uneventful, unending, ascent which culminated in a great view and an even better Huckleberry cobbler at dinner.
The next day was the "worst" day of the trip; the one day where the weather didn't cooperate. The plan was to hike Piegan Pass and learn about animal tracking, however we had to truncate the hike due to the weather (rock scrambling + rain = trouble).
Fortunately, damp ground makes animal tracking much easier, so the guide was able to easily show us and challenge us to identify tracks.
Midway into the hike, we happened upon a couple from Seattle heading down the trail. They had found bear scat and, not knowing how recent or whether it was from a Grizzly or Black bear, decided to retreat.
Our guide offered to help them identify it, and after a few minutes of hiking, we were all gathered around the bear droppings.
The guide went through how to differentiate bear scat (large volume, like a gallon, is generally Grizzly), how to avoid surprising bears (keep talking to each other or yourself), and why they needn't worry today (you have bear spray and the wind at your back, so your scent will prevent you from startling the bear).
Shortly after this lesson, the weather turned for the worst and we voted to abandon the hike. On the return trip, however, we spotted a goat over a mile away
In the end, the decision was a very good one. Despite the weather initially clearing, as we drove past Logan Pass this was the sight we were greeted with.
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 1:06PM 
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