Yesterday was one of our more exciting and frustrating days on the mountain. At 7:00 we detected a normal signal from one of our radio collared ewes, #21. At 9:00 Michelle Schireman and I began our hike into sweatshirt canyon to collect visual data on some of the bighorns. At 9:15 we received a mortality signal from #21. These radio collars are set to send a mortality signal after the collar has been stationary for 6 hours. In many cases, this mortality signal is the result of a cougar predation event. We immediately returned to the trucks and began preparation for what we anticipated would possibly be a very long hike and a longer day. Above is a view of Sweatshirt Canyon from the top of the Fra Cristobals with our hiking route outlined in red.