Investigators surmised that Anthony Pollio had most likely gotten near the summit of Mt. Brown before turning around, and that he was hiking back down the mountain after sunset when he was attacked. At the time of the attack, the Mt. Brown Trail had numerous downed trees that had been blown over the previous winter. Investigators said that those elements, combined with it being after sunset, meant that Pollio and the bear likely did not see each other until they were very close.
