A 73-year-old hiker has died in Montana's Glacier National Park after falling from one of its most popular routes.
Diane Bunker of Muscatine, Iowa, was hiking the famous Highline Trail on Friday, August 29, when she tripped and fell roughly 450ft (137m). Search and rescue officials rushed to her location and found Bunker dead at the scene with sustained traumatic injuries.
Glacier National Park officials confirmed the incident in a news release obtained by the Daily Montanan.
It reads: "While hiking with a large group, Bunker tripped and fell off the edge of the trail, out of sight from her hiking party."
"Two Bear Air was dispatched to search for the fallen hiker. Two Bear Air located and recovered her below the trail."
The stunning but potentially dangerous Highline Trail is one of Glacier's most popular routes, guiding trekkers through 14.9 miles (24km) of Wyoming wilderness and gaining 2,621ft (798.9m) in elevation.
The route offers breathtaking views of Glacier National Park, but can also be dangerous, featuring a narrow, exposed cliffside section, with steep drops and a tricky cable handrail.
"The trail can be 3 - 5 feet wide in places, with a large drop-off on one side of the trail," explains the National Park Service website, which says there is a hand cable available for about 50 yards of the trail.
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