Bear's Hump is a hike up the shoulder of Crandell Mountain, previously called Bear Mountain by the Blackfoot Pikuni tribe. The shoulder of the mountain is called Bear's Hump because it looks like the hump on the back of a grizzly bear.
Bear's Hump is a short hike to get up high with an overview of Waterton Lakes.
A friend of mine (and now my husband) calls it a, "Death March," but I think it's worth it!
It's a 2.8 km roundtrip with 225m of elevation.
This means it's basically all straight up (hence the "Death March"). For the little time it takes though, those views are definitely worth all of the uphill battle and switchbacks.
On our way up the path we were closely followed by an older couple (and when I say older, I don't mean fifties, I mean in their seventies or eighties). We were pushing our pace as hard as we could but whenever we stopped for a breather they were right on our tails. We had to beat them! We are in our twenties and should be more than capable!
On the way up the trail we came across a Bighorn Sheep
He was just chilling behind a tree right beside the path. It was pretty cool so see it so close, but then you realize how big those horns really are.
We made it to the top, just ahead of the older couple behind us, and completely out of breath. I was originally bummed out that I had forgotten shorts to hike in, and it was too hot for pants, but at this point I was so grateful I had hiked in a dress. It's so nice and breezy amidst the heat and exertion.
Wearing a dress is the best kept hiking secret ever!
The views from the top were truly spectacular. You can see the entire townsite below, as well as the vast Waterton Lakes. You can also see across the plains, as well as right where they meet the mountains. It's pretty cool to see.
On the way back down the mountain, our Bighorned Sheep friend was standing in the middle of the path, grazing away. There was a group on one side who wanted to come up the trail, and the group on our side who wanted to get down the mountain. And the sheep just stood there.
We were stuck!
Neither group wanted to scare him into the the opposite side, and so we all waited and waited, considering camping out for the evening on the pathway, making plans with our trailmates.
Finally two Swiss men came marching down the mountain side with no fear and sent the Bighorn Sheep skittering off the path enough for us to get by. Thank goodness!
