After a hiker was mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone National Park earlier this summer, another dead hiker was found Friday on Mary Mountain Trail. Found by other hikers on Friday morning, the name of the male hiker has not yet been released.
The only information about the hiker released by authorities is that the hiker was in his 60s and is a resident of the Michigan Upper Peninsula and likely died either Wednesday or Thursday. Yellowstone officials have said that there were reported signs of grizzly activity at the scene yet it has not been confirmed if the hiker died either from a grizzly attack or by accidental, natural or other causes. Rangers have not ruled out the possibility that the scene may have been scavenged, making the death unrelated to a bear attack.
Rangers have closed off the Mary Mountain Trail and the Cygnet Lakes Trail as well as sections of the Hayden Valley Trail, west of Grand Loop Road.
As the investigation continues, aerial survey of the area has turned up no grizzly activity.
In July, a man was mauled by a female grizzly in the park. It was concluded that the attack was the grizzly defending her cubs from a possible threat and the rangers decided not to euthanize the grizzly as it had no past of aggressive activity toward humans. This attack marked the first mauling within the park since 1986.
Just today (8/29/11)I hiked out of YNP’s back country after a five day backpacking trip with my husband and another couple. We are saddened by the news of this recent bear fatality. We saw plenty of griz and black bear sign as we traveled from Glen Creek TH to Specimen Creek TH, with visits to or overnights at Electric Peak, Cache Lake, Sportsman Lake, High Lake and Cascade Lake. We were ALWAYS bear aware and made plenty of noise. We are experienced backpackers but know the risks we take. While we had decided NOT to backpack in griz country after last year’s attacks near Cooke City, I needed this trip to answer the ever present question: WHAT IS OVER THAT NEXT HILL? I’d wanted to answer that question about this part of YNP for 25 years. With the question answered, will I risk again? Ask me next season. KT