Mountain Lions stalking the Pi man

[Sally]

Hi Pi,
...and to think you were impressed with my deer photo last month! Good gravy, your mountain lion shots are amazing! Thank you for sharing your pics and story with us.

I've always been a little paranoid of big cats, and I thought this was going to make me REALLY jittery. But after thinking about how I put my life in danger every time I get on the road I think I'll be rational and not worry too much about cougers.

Thank you, Norma, for the insight on how to react when meeting up with a couger.

[Pitownpi]

[zippetydude]

That sure was a loud whisper!

The ones coming straight at me are of lesser concern than the ones I would never hear, the first insight being the feeling of large teeth penetrating the back of my neck...now that thought spooks me. But, like Norma said, it's extremely rare, and as this was a good rain year, they've probably got ample prey without having to resort to humans right now.

I'm with you, Pi, on how amazingly quickly they can cover impossible terrain, and they don't stop at the top, gasping for air like I do. Not just cougars, either. How long would it take a coyote to do Skyline? 20 minutes?

z

[bluerail]

WOW ! I just ran across this and am so stunned ! What an incredible thing to experience. The odds of running into three cats have got to be so slim even if your out there alot. What a lucky guy you are. I haven"t been seeing much wildlife lately at all..not even rattlers ! wondrful pictures Pi, thanks for sharing.

[Pitownpi]

[Andy]

Now that's pretty sweet. Reminds me of when I was a kid and away at summer camp one summer. While I was go, my father built me a tree house about 20' up a huge oak tree. The best part of it was a zip line to another tree that he fashioned out of an old wooden block and tackle rig on about 75' of rope. Needles to say, that ride was a hit with all of us for years. Good times!

[whitneyfan]

That is an amazing encounter.
I was stalked by some kind of cat in 1986 when hiking in Chiricahua Nat Mon
in Arizona.
I was alone on a flat trail beneath a wooded slope, and started to hear some extra footsteps in the leaves above me. It was an irregular 4 footed gait.
I stopped to listen, then it stopped. I started again, and it started.
When I stopped again I heard a low throaty growl .
I picked up a big rock, and stood there looking into the brush and talking out loud to let it know that I knew it was there.
Once I continued walking I did not hear it anymore.

I don't know which is worse, knowing something is there but not seeing it, or seeing it and knowing you are seen.

In 2006 I was coming down off of Whitney in the dark just above Lone Pine Lake where the "permit required" sign is posted. I had my flashlight out and walking at a brisk pace when I heard a loud snort maybe 50-80 ft in the distance. It did not sound like a horse, so all I could think was, "Oh there is a bear out there somewhere." And I just kept walking.

And just this summer I was hiking just a couple miles outside of Monrovia in Monrovia canyon. I rounded a blind wooded corner and encountered a big brown furry mass sitting in the trail about 35 ft ahead. It had it's back to me and just sitting there. I did not know what to do so I just slowly started to turn back around. It then heard me and looked back.
As soon as it saw me it jumped like a spooked rabbit and ran off into the brush. It looked like a juvenile age bear, which is good. I'm afraid if it was an adult male it might not had been so scared of me.

[Pitownpi]

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[Pitownpi]

[Andy]

Looks like a great trip Pi, nice pics of that area and the waterfall video cracked me up. Good times!