Ride Report Scary ride in Old Emerald today

I always ride with pepper spray, and I also get lazy and ride to pch instead of climbing back up the canyon.

 

^ is the pepper spray for the lions or the tennis players who don't want you cutting through their club? :lol:

 

Thanks for posting. I have been looking for her for weeks.





Sorry. I just saw this online and couldnt help it.

This thread makes me think twice about riding alone. Especially early in the morning or at sunset.

 

Where is Old Emerald?

Laguna Coast Park?

 

If there was anyone deer hunting in LCWP (or carrying a gun period) there would be swat teams deployed on full tactical mode ready to take down the terrorists, closely followed by the notoriously trigger happy Laguna Beach PD!

 

My kids go to school in Laguna Beach and I just received this info in an email from the school:

Safety Alert
Given our proximity to wilderness areas, we have safety protocols in place that include notification of wildlife near our school sites. This morning the State Parks contacted El Morro to report that a mountain lion was spotted in the park approximately 1/4 mile from El Morro moving away from the school on a hiking trail. Accordingly, staff members at El Morro, Thurston, and Top of the World are alerted and have increased supervision on the perimeter of campuses. We are providing this information to parents, as well, to inform supervision of your children in open space areas.

 

update: i talked to a lcwp ranger yesterday. she said that they have had no evidence--photos, tracks, or otherwise--of big cats in the park. she checked out the deer kill on big bend and it was surrounded by coyote tracks. my theory is that the deer died of natural causes after it attempted to walk up big bend...

:cheers:

 

I've gotten the same eerie feeling climbing out of Old Emerald... maybe it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me... spooky.

 

ahahhahahaha:lol::lol::lol::lol: half a dog high, dog and a half long...

Are we riding tuesday night? Should I wear Teflon around my ankles to ward off the danger?? My brothers dog was wicked and dangerous....



In all seriousness - just make sure your 'pack' is big enough that the wildlife looks for easier prey, and keep an eye out for your younger/less fit/struggling/weaker/in the back links.

Guess I'm not taking my 10 year old out there with just the two of us later in the afternoon/evening hours, we'll opt for a bigger group.

 

^ no need for extra protection, julie. but if approached by a dachshund, make yourself look big--and hold your ground. running away just triggers their "attack" mode. see ya tomorrow (and congratulations on rio).

:bad dog:

 

I just stopped at the Nix Nature Center yesterday to see about new trail openings by Stagecoach and Serrano Ridge. We ironically talked about lions and she seems to think that there aren't any left in Aliso, LCW and El Moro. I asked because I ride there regularly by myself and it would be nice to know if there are.
In my opinion given how many people are in these parks on a daily basis, I would think there would be more encounters, but who knows.
Someone will have the balls to pull out their Iphone one of these days and provide real proof of them. Until then, all we can do is ride on and hope we don't run into one that is sick or mentally disturbed. I hear healthy ones don't care about humans.

 

So one State agency calls El Moro School to report Lion sighting. The county employees say no lions on the coast. Is this a lack of communication? It would not surprise that the lion sighting was true but on the other hand with wildlife camera out in El Moro, Laguna Wilderness Park and Irvine Open Space one would think that they would have captured a pic by now. Then if they did have the proof would they share the info with the public?

Dean

 

^ i thought the same thing, dean. i'm pretty sure if they had good evidence they would post a warning as a public safety issue--and to cover their arses.

i'm going to ask about the latest el moro "sighting" when i go the bike patrol meeting on wed.

 

While up there on Saturday, half way between the toll road and PCH, we could hear some sirens off in the distance. Soon there were two different groups of coyotes yipping and carrying on just like my dogs do when they hear a siren. It was way cool. Despite the pork chop in my Camelbak, I saw no lions.

 

Creepy I've see cats out there too. Would swear one was a Mtn Lion. Big Tail! You have to assume they are out there.

 

I don't know why you pansies are whimpering about a bunch of silly cats. Last week I was in Chino Hills, and just downhill from Four Corners I saw... raccoon tracks!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,560150,00.html

A 74-year-old Lakeland woman was hospitalized after being mauled by a pack of raccoons she tried to shoo from her yard.

Gretchen Whitted fell when five raccoons surrounded and attacked, suffering extensive cuts from her neck to her legs.

"We're not talking about a lot of little bites here," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "She was filleted."

A neighbor called for help after hearing the woman's cries and seeing her covered in blood.

Whitted received dozens of staples and sutures and was treated for rabies, though officials doubt the animals were infected.

Fire crews flooded nearby drains where some of the animals escaped, but none turned up. Animal Control officers hope to catch them in traps baited with wet cat food and sardines.

 

Do you think there is a protocol for notifying local agencies whenever a cat is caught on camera? There are warning signs all over the wildlife areas indicating that cats, rattlesnakes, etc are wild in wildlife. I thought they only sent up notifications when people spotted the cats, as that indicated the cats were openly active despite human activity (ie they are not afraid of people), not every time one walked through a trail.

My guess would be that if the agencies DID notify the surrounding communities of cat activity EVERY time one was caught on camera, the people may overreact with fear. So, a policy to only notify in cases of an animal who exhibits an increased threat to the community through its lack of fear of humans, as evident by increasing their activity in the presence of people, seems quite reasonable. Just be careful out there!