Alaskans avoiding Bird Ridge trail following fatal black bear mauling

On a sunny Sunday in Anchorage, there’s not much that’ll keep residents off the trails– but longtime Alaskans Mike Squiers and Randy Bridwell found the trail on Bird Ridge to be mostly empty.
“There was nobody on the trail. Normally there might be 30 to 40 to 50 people on the trail right now, or more, on a day like today,” said Squiers, who says they only saw a total of three other hikers.
A predatory black bear killed 16-year-old Patrick Cooper on the mountain a we