Conundrum Hot Springs Near Aspen To Stay Open, After Authorities Carve Up Frozen Cow Carcasses

This April 6, 2012, photo, provided by the U. S. Forest Service shows the Conundrum Creek Cabin, in the White River National Forest, near Aspen, Colo., where as many as six cows remain that froze to death. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Steve Segin said Tuesday they need to decide quickly how to get rid of the carcasses. The options: use explosives to break up the cows, burn down the cabin, or using a helicopters or trucks to haul out the carcasses. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Brian Porter)

ASPEN, Colo. -- A popular hot springs area in Colorado will remain open after U.S. Forest Service rangers carved up several frozen cows in an attempt to prevent the carcasses from contaminating the water.

But Scott Snelson, a ranger in the White River National Forest, is still warning hikers that cow feces is in and around Conundrum Hot Springs near Aspen and "going up there may not be as pleasant an experience as people once enjoyed."

Crews cut up 11 dead cows that were found frozen near the springs and inside a nearby cabin. Rangers believe the cows wandered into the cabin during a snowstorm but couldn't find their way out.

___

Loading Slideshow