Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1967 GRANITE PARK, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK 1:00 P.M. "Look there!" Steve said as they walked along the trail. He pointed at a hummingbird fluttering above a purple flower. The bird was bright red and

barely the size of Mel's thumb. Its wings were moving so fast they were almost invisible. "What kind is that?" Aunt Cassie asked. "A calliope?" Mel squinted at it. She and Mom had a book with pictures of all the birds in Glacier. They kept a list of the ones they'd spotted. "I think that's a rufous." "You're right," Steve said. "Good eye!" They'd been hiking for three hours so far, with another two to go. The Granite Park Chalet was way up in Glacier's backcountry. That was the more wild part of the park, far from any road. The only way to reach the chalet was on foot or horseback — eight miles each way. Every minute or so, Steve clapped his hands. "Hey there, bear!" he'd shout. "Hey there, bear! "Good to let them know we're coming," he explained. Clap, clap.

The sun was boiling hot. Mel's tie-dyed T-shirt was glued to her sweaty back. Her hiking boots were too small. Her pinched toes had stopped hurting; they were numb. But she didn't complain. This was a beautiful trail. It had taken them over cliffs and down into bright green valleys. Now they were walking through a meadow filled with wildflowers. There were more colors here than in a jumbo box of Crayolas.

Mel took swigs of cool water from her canteen and munched on nuts and raisins that Pops had packed for her. He hadn't been thrilled that they were heading to a place crawling with grizzlies. But Cassie had convinced him they'd be safe. And he was as eager as they were to find out what was happening there. As Mel walked behind Steve, she noticed a jagged purple-and-red line snaking down the back of Steve's right calf. Mel had never seen a scar that big or angry. Kevin would be fascinated. She wanted to ask Steve about it. But right now he was busy telling them all about what grizzlies eat in the wild. "The grizzly is America's apex predator," he explained. Clap, clap. "That means it can hunt any animal it wants. And no animal wants to mess with it." Mel smiled, thinking of Kevin again. He'd have about a million questions right now.

"They'll hunt elk or deer," Steve continued. "In Alaska, the grizzlies eat lots of salmon. They pluck them right out of the water with their mouths. But here in Glacier the grizzlies mostly eat plants — like berries." Mel's mouth watered as she thought of the sweet, juicy huckleberries that grew wild along some of the trails. "They also love marmots," Steve said. Clap, clap. Those were cute little rodents that lived underground. Sometimes they'd pop their furry heads out of their dens and whistle at people who walked by. "I'm pretty hungry myself," Cassie said. "Right now I could really go for a nice, juicy… marmot." Steve and Mel burst out laughing. "Maybe we should stop for lunch, then," Steve said, pointing to a fallen log in the shade.

Steve took out a sad little jar of peanut butter and some cardboard-looking crackers. He eyed the thick roast beef sandwiches Pops had made for Mel and Cassie. Mel handed him half of hers. "I'm not very hungry," she fibbed. "If you're sure…" he said, happily taking it. "So," Aunt Cassie said, swallowing a mouthful of her own sandwich. "How did you first become interested in grizzlies?" "I've always been fascinated by them," Steve said. "But why?" Aunt Cassie coaxed. Steve took a gulp of water from his beat-up canteen. "Who wouldn't be? Grizzlies are powerful, smart, and curious. They're a lot like humans, if you think about it." Right then, he reminded Mel of Mom. Her eyes would get the same look of awe when she talked about bears and other wild animals.