Backcountry skiers near Crested Butte were caught off guard when they summited 11,400 foot Heart Attack Ridge to find three beef cattle standing around in the snow. They'd apparently been stranded there during the first snow of the winter, and one died on the ridge. The skiers hog-tied a 400 pound bull and slid him 2,500 vertical feet down the mountain on tarps, along with the 300-pound heifer. The heifer survived, while the bull stopped breathing in the valley and was slaughtered by the group of skiers, which included experienced hunters. [Crested Butte News]
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