mockturtle:

We did this short hike (Sauk Mt. Trail) a few years ago. The trailhead is just off Highway 20 near Rockport State Park (heading towards North Cascades NP) and has probably been done by most WA hikers. Beautiful switchbacking hike with tons of wildflowers and great views at the top.

It is, quoting most any trail guide's description of it, "a heavily used trail."

I was wondering about bear hunting taking place on Aug. 2nd, but apparently the Washington State black bear "season" opened on Aug 1 and runs through November.

On the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest website, they do state this:

Firearms: Firing a gun is not allowed . . . in any circumstance whereby a person may be injured or property damaged.

Definitely a regulation was broken here.

When we hiked the trail in August a few years ago, we had no idea that people could be hunting bears there; I always thought the season was in the fall. If only that kid had instead been shooting the bear with a Nikon while so near an "extra heavy" use trail (US Forest Service words,) then the hiker, Pam Almli, would still be alive to see the bear that the kid thought he was killing.

To put this in perspective, though, we have a similar ritual in South Florida. It's the annual "mini season" for recreational divers to strip the seabed of "bugs" before the commercial guys set their traps for the new season. It was Wednesday & Thursday of last week. We only had four divers die in their attempt to get their "limit." (A fifth is still missing.) Not a good year. Thing is that here, in their feverish quest to take those lobsters, they only did themselves in, not someone else who was simply out for a hike. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Video on the hiker that was shot is here.