Ride Report Scary ride in Old Emerald today

Went for a morning (7am) ride today and decided to head down Old Emerald. Haven't been down there in a while. Well it turned into an interesting choice. As I was hiking out, I heard a big rustle in the bushes about 30 yards behind me. At first I thought it might be a deer but after listening for a while, I realized it was something big and was stalking me. I immediately got my knife out of my pack and slowly started to hike out. The noise in the bushes kept following me then I heard something big in the bushes to my immediate left (15 feet away). I turned around and saw something a bit smaller (maybe the female)but still big in the bushes of a tree and saw its big tail. Needless to say it scared the crap out of me. I SLOWLY hiked out with my knife in hand and called it a day. Just be careful everybody!!!

 

was that down in the canyon on your climb out? somebody was just talking about getting a weird feeling in that section during our tuesday ride. and i see deer in that meadow at the bottom of bvd fairly often...spooky/cool.

:meow:

 

You never mentioned what you saw. What was it??? :?: :lol:

 

It was at the bottom, 50 yards up the canyon from where Old Emerald singletrack drops you out. This was definitely a few steps above spooky. I definitely made contact with the female I think. The male was about 30 yards behind.

I don't want to make an allegation and not have it be true but I am 98% sure it was a male and female cat.

 

You didn't stop to get pictures?:?:

Ok, I'm kidding. Glad your'e here with us today, and thanks for the warning.
I could imagine you felt quite trapped down there with no way out but up.

 

Yup. Thankfully I at least had a 4" pocket knife on me. Its not enough but at least it was something.

 

Interesting, I didn't think there were cats in LCWP.

 

I've been riding LCWP for years and I will be the first to stand in line to say I didn't think there were either.

 

I've seen bobcats there before. As for mt. lions... :?:

 

The cat in the bushes of the tree 15 feet from me definitely had a big tail. Ive seen bobcats throughout my life. No bobcat here. I'm not trying to disagree with anybody, just want to warn people to keep their eyes open and be careful. And I wasn't going to get closer to find out either.

 

http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/general-discussion/34645-mountain-lion-spotted-el-moro.html


I have had that same 'dang, why is it so quiet?' moment in Emerald. I believe.

 

I am not trying to say it's impossible or to be argumentative with the OP, but I would think that the camera up by T&A would catch pics/video of them if they were around, no?
My folks have a home in North Laguna and I ride in from Dartmoor around once a month. I do not remember seeing any tracks up there recently. I supposed it's possible, but I think it is somewhat unlikely with all the development, etc. that's gone on around there. But if they really are there, it sure would be nice to know for sure since my boy rides their with his buddies

 

Why not?

I have never seen even a hint of one, but I do remember a sighting posted on the gate to Laguna Bowl about 5 years ago.

 

I caught a glimpse of one last year at El Moro. It was just going off the road as I came around a bend. It was smallish but the tail was bigger than it, so definitely a mountain lion. I have also seen tracks at Whiting. I figure it is like sharks while surfing. Assume they are around but that your chances of having a problem with them are very slim. At least with mountain lions you can make a lot of noise and try to look big, I don't think that works with sharks.

 

4 inch pocket knife??? What were you going to do with that??

 

Sorry to have frightened you. That was Dean and I playing in the bushes this morning. :wave:

 

Without pictures, it didn't happen j/k

This one time at band camp... I was solo up at snow summit and blew out 2 tubes in one run (ran outta spares) had to hike to the bottom, thought I would take a short cut and blaze my own trail... I was spooked, felt like I was being watched. felt like the longest hike ever.

 

It's been a few years since I've seen big cat tracks out there. I figured the mountain lions were long gone from this area. I only last week thought about them when I heard something big in the bushes near the top of Old Emerald. Noises in the bushes always get my attention. I kept riding figuring it was a deer or something. Now you got me spooked. 8-[

 

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Good to know.

I thought 4" was better than nothing. That's what my wife keeps telling me. Hahahaha!!!