its death at the base of the old traditional climbing route called Old Salt
in Hidden Valley. Old Salt is just beyond the popular 1st wall sport
climbing area. By the end of June 2nd various animals had begun discovering
the carcass and had started to open the gut and expose the entrails. This
dead sheep is only a few feet from the main trail and cannot be avoided if
travelling up the valley.
The smell had reached to the top of the main south wall climbing routes by
early afternoon and it is likely that if a person could smell it then other
more aggressive predators may be attracted to the area as well.
It is likely a good idea to give Hidden Valley a miss for a couple of weeks
to avoid any unfortunate encounters with bears, cougars or the like. Just
for information, both black and grizzly bears have been spotted over the
years in Hidden Valley but they are a rare occurrence. This situation may
change that for the short term so caution is advised.
Cyril Shokoples
Jeremy Mackenzie
Peter Amann
Rescue Dynamics
http://www.rescuedynamics.ca
http://www.rescuedynamics.com
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These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.