It’s not the kind of excitement James Hardy expected when he set out for a day of snowboarding at Lake Louise: an encounter with a grizzly bear.
Hardy says it was around 3 p.m. on Wednesday (April 23, 2024), when he encountered the bear alongside a run known as Cameron’s Way.
A spokesperson for the ski hill confirms the bear was first spotted by some staff members a couple hours earlier around 1 p.m. on the ski out and again a short time later on a run known as Pine Cone Way.
Dan Markham says the ski hill closed off access to runs and ski lifts in the area, and was monitoring the situation closely and to help keep guests and the bear separated.
A video shot by Hardy shows the bear as it appears to emerge later from the forest alongside Cameron’s Way.
Hardy says, “I didn’t know it was a grizzly, and it was too late to turn around when he spotted us, so me and a friend just rode by as quickly as possible. Definitely one of the most scared I’ve ever been.”
Markham says the ski hill “was able to manage the lifts and terrain closures to keep guests and the bear separate and as soon as it was off the leasehold we resumed normal operations.”
He says “no further sightings have been reported.” He adds, “Parks Canada was notified but no further action was taken.”