Two mountain lions sighted on Skyline

[KathyW]

[quote="hawkbill666"]Two guys are hiking on a local trail when they encounter a mountain lion. The mountain lion crouches down and stares. Fearing they will certainly be attacked one guy takes his backpack off, grabs his running shoes and frantically starts taking off his hiking boots. The other guys says, "What are you doing, you cant outrun a mountain lion!". The guy putting on his running shoes says, "Hell, I only have to outrun you". :)[/quote]

A good one.

I see cougar tracks here and there, but I've never actually seen one out in the wilderness. I know they are watching me though. For that matter, I rarely see snakes. I know they're out there, but I just don't notice them. I hope I continue being blind to the things that scare me the most.

[Florian]

Wow, this is amazing. The only mtn lion i've ever seen in the wild was up the Skyline around 25 yrs ago. Was near the 5000' level. Glad to hear they are still up there but since i most always hike alone it does give me pause. Or is that paws?

-Florian

[Hikin_Jim]

Hiking Skyline is getting expensive ... Yeah, it'll cost ya an arm and a leg.

HJ

[Norris]

I'm surprised at some of the comments on this thread. Most of the known attacks and almost all known fatalities involving cougar attacks are to do with children or very small adults, aren't they?

[TDGillam]

Above the picnic tables but before the second sighting I heard sounds from below which I thought might have been a couple of enthusiastic but noisy hikers. Weird sounds, but not the characteristic cougar sound from the movies. I thought is was two different cats, but look I'm not a mountain guy and occasionally I'm wrong about stuff. Zip is probably correct about it being the same cat and from reading about them since the event it may have been a younger male which tend to get pushed to the outside of their families territory. I feel incredibly fortunate to have seen one in the wild. The fact it continued toward me even while I screamed and threw rocks at it makes me feel that he would have attacked if I had not seen it in time. One note on that; I have read that they usually attack from above and behind, he was above me, but facing me. I knew not to turn away from it or run, I walked backward as best I could down hill for a bit. If I had another flashlight I would have turned my headlamp around and used by backup light to see the ground. Their eyes light up just like flash lights from the reflection, in fact at first I thought I saw hikers headlamp above me, until they blinked simultaneously! A bright headlamp was the key to me seeing it, and after the fist sighting I was scanning all 360 degrees around me and in the distance, not just the ground in front of me.

[Hikin_Jim]

I'm surprised at some of the comments on this thread. Most of the known attacks and almost all known fatalities involving cougar attacks are to do with children or very small adults, aren't they?

They will definitely attack adults including full grown men.

HJ

[grampa]

It would be very unusual to have two mountain lions residing that close to each other. Either it was the same cat, or one was a young one passing through, and about to get a chewing out from the resident cat!

[bluerail]

I think they love people zooming by on bikes....the faster you are, the more fun you are. No matter the size.

I know when I had my run in and saw no other choice, I went in to neandrathal mode.

[Hikin_Jim]

I know when I had my run in and saw no other choice, I went in to neandrathal mode.

You grabbed a burger, fries, and a drink?



HJ

[HikeUp]

Probably just out trimming the bushes...