MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS — Temporary trail, backcountry campsite, and fishing closures remain in effect northwest of the Old Faithful area following a bear incident May 4. 

Emergency responders, including law enforcement, EMS personnel and interagency partners, responded to the scene and provided aid before transporting two male hikers, ages 15 and 28, from the area by helicopter. 

Based on evidence collected so far, park staff believe a female grizzly bear with two or three cubs-of-the-year (cubs in their first year of life) were involved in the encounter. This incident remains under investigation, and there are no further details to share at this time. 

According to the Jackson Hole News and Guide, as hiker Craig Lerman approached Mystic Falls on Monday afternoon he started seeing bear paw prints in the mud and snow. Then he saw a bloody hat. And a watch.

“I was very alert after that,” Lerman told the newspaper. “I knew that something was going on.”

Lerman continued up the trail, which is about a mile from the Biscuit Basin Trailhead in Yellowstone National Park, and encountered an injured hiker lying in a pool of blood, with his face and body “torn up.”

Geyser basin boardwalk areas remain open. There are no known visitors within the closed backcountry areas. 

“Visitors are required to follow all posted closures. Entering closed areas can put both visitors and responders at risk,” park officials said in a press release Friday.