Safety Tips in Montana

The part going up from the Creek (after Red Lodge) to the pass is full of twist and turns. It is recommended not to speed and be careful. If the road looks busy, don't hesitate to honk when taking a turn where you cannot see what's ahead, a car may come from the opposite direction and not see you before it's too late.

The summit of the pass is past 10,000 feet (3.000 meters) and at this altitude, dizziness and shortness breath can be expected if you are not used to these height. Be careful if you go out to walk. DO NOT RUN! As even walking briskly may lead you to faint spells. These phenomenons occurs because the level of oxygen in the air gets lower as you climb higher. If you start to get dizzy and see black spots, stop immediatly and rest for a minute. My advice: just take it easy and let your body get used to it.

I am from California...so when I first moved here, I was told not to tell anyone where I came from. The "locals" do not like people from California, because a lot of them think they are better than the people who live in Montana. Just be yourself when you visit...ask questions and get to know the people. Dont say things like, "well in California, we do it this way"...you will get an angry look, and maybe some words. You need to mix in with the people, especially if you plan on living here. Get involved, and offer suggestions, but dont let them think that your "California way" is the best. I know, I have been there. People wouldnt talk to me when I first moved here, until they found out I just wanted a different kind of life, and wasnt interested in telling them how to do things.

Also, we do have an occasional bear, moose, elk that wander through town. Just be aware and stay away. Call Fish and Game....let them take care of it.

I have two very real warnings for you about Montana.

1.It will be hard on your rental car because you will be stopping very often to look and wonder.

2. It will be a photographer's nightmare - because you will never have enough time, enough light or enough film.

Because we use gravel instead of sand on the roads during the winter, bikers need to be aware of gravel. I about dumped my bike this spring because as I was going around a corner there was a pile of gravel there at the intersection. The intersections are were it tends to build up and it take a while to get it off the roads. Interstates do not have as big a problem, because they do not have the same kind of intersections that you get on back roads. So be careful and ride safe.

For decades Montana had no speed limits on their public highways. This has led to a habit of driving wild and free which seems reasonable when you could travel a couple of miles without meeting a single other vehicle. But now the state has imposed limits on the roads, but, hey, it takes time to turn those habits around. And Montanans are also a bit set in their ways. So beware of the locals who think nothing of zooming down the highway in excess of the posted limits. Also, watch the curves as many of them are not signed for lower speeds which may be needed by some vehicles.

Grizzly bears can be dangerous so it is in your best interest to follow suggested behaviors when in their home area, like much of northern Montana is. When I was in Glacier in 1994, several hikes were closed due to bear activity. The Grinnell Glacier Trail, in particular, had a bloody carcass of a half eaten goat on the path. I was happy to finally get to do it on our return trip there in 2008. A few days later, the Iceberg Lake Trail was closed due to grizzly activity and we had just done it a few days before.

You MUST make noise while hiking. Clapping, talking loudly,and singing are all preferred over the little bells that stores sell. These are ineffective due to lack of volume. It takes a lot of energy and I hated it my first time in the park but felt I had a better understanding of it on my most recent trip. Maybe I had just grown up and realized it was the bears' park more than mine.

I would never stop to remind everyone that the wild animals were here before the humans...so you have to deal with them.
Some may be dangerous (bears, snakes...) and the better you stay away from them, the better you will enjoy watching at them. I strongly do not recommend 'wild' camping without first checking if the area is known as rich with bear population.
We've read and heard about some attacks which were of course due to the bad attitude of the people.