genusmtbkr5
STR Moderator
If you are referring to the Mark Reynolds incident, it was Cactus. Sleepy Hollow wasn't open then. The recent sighting was on Serrano Cow which has been closed for now and not on Sleepy Hollow as 1st reported.
Mountain Lion at Whiting
- Thread starter BigTex
- Start date
If you are referring to the Mark Reynolds incident, it was Cactus. Sleepy Hollow wasn't open then. The recent sighting was on Serrano Cow which has been closed for now and not on Sleepy Hollow as 1st reported.
Hotchkiss
human being
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I'm telling rangers if I see a big cat in whiting. It's not "forest" anymore. It's a big U shaped green belt in the middle of a neighborhood. Yes it sucks that we've encroached on thier habitat, but to not let rangers (who than post official notices for the rest of us) know is unthinking.
dirtvert
Whine on!
Emejay- It was on Cactus and, FWIW, some people have made a good case that Mark suffered a heart attack while riding, and that the lion merely made an opportunistic kill (and attacked Anne defending it) -- http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_ca.html
Bolstering that idea is the fact that the autopsy didn't reveal any neck injuries or injuries consistent with an attack.
Bolstering that idea is the fact that the autopsy didn't reveal any neck injuries or injuries consistent with an attack.
dirtmistress
(R.I.P.) AKA Roadiemistress
I know it's not a forest. I guess I should have said open space or something.
Don't those trails already have mountain lion warning signs though? As well as tick and rattlesnake warnings?
It's a responsibility of back country/forest/jungle/open space/green belt users to know the risks and hazards before entering the area and to be prepared.
Don't those trails already have mountain lion warning signs though? As well as tick and rattlesnake warnings?
It's a responsibility of back country/forest/jungle/open space/green belt users to know the risks and hazards before entering the area and to be prepared.
That lion is dead anyway and it was also sick if I remember correctly.
emejay
most annoying avatar
Thanks for the reply...I have heard the heart attack theory before. To me, it seems dropping a chain on a technical section and having to stop and bend over to fix it and therefore more vulnerable to attack, is more prevalent and plausible scenario than a 35 year old (bike racer???) having a heart attack, but both still possible. I often ride through there and wondered if it was a steep or technical section where the incident occured, making the dropped chain theory a greater possibility.
mytrustysteed
Middle...the new granny
Doesn't negate the fact that Anne was attacked by the same lion moments later. The lion attempted to drag her away while her friend held on to her feet. Bottom line is we are in their world and need to know the risks when we are there.
grimix
New Member
Bottom line is we are in each others world and they need to know the risks when they are there
genusmtbkr5
STR Moderator
Exactly Liz. Some of the riders who saw this lion, many of which you and I know including OMR didn't think this lion was at all behaving normally and could also be sick. First it jumps out in front of a rider on Sunday, then didn't scatter away even when 15+ riders approached the next day on Monday.
After the Mark and Anne attacks, the rangers will error on the side of caution especially when there's an elementary school and park/playground just up the slope from Whiting.
More nervous about rattlesnakes than mountain lions at Whiting
While trying to avoid this friendly rattlesnake at Whiting I actually fell right next to it! My buddy said I was running before I hit the ground. It was obscured by the tree shading and I didn't see it until I was right on top of it.
While trying to avoid this friendly rattlesnake at Whiting I actually fell right next to it! My buddy said I was running before I hit the ground. It was obscured by the tree shading and I didn't see it until I was right on top of it.
To me a potentially sick animal (not acting "normal") is all the more reason to be cautious.. I don't know big cats, so I don't feel I know what normal is, but I'm assuming normal is not being seen during daylight hours for the most part and hunting at night.. I have no problem with people feeling they have no reason to fear a mtn lion.. watching them up close in zoo at Irvine Park, if one of those lions charged that group of 15 riders considering he wasn't feeling well and not thinking properly, he would do some major damage to a few people who have no shot at getting away quickly enough.. I've encountered numerous rattlers and coyotes and never worried.. if I came face to face unexpectedly with an 80lb cat, I might $hit myself.. just sayin..
bikerider
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I guess it's all what you and the park are comfortable with. If they closed Whistler everytime somebody saw a bear, then it would never be ridden. Bear attacks like mountain happen but are rare. I'm ok with the park being cautious. I rode there on Wednesday and came in from Concourse park. There was a group of hikers ready to run for their cars once they read the sign. It was a little comical.
profnachos
Member
What Greg said. I would leave it up to the professionals to decide what to do in this case and let them use their discretion.
dstepper
(R.I.P.) Over the hill
I could care less about me, it does not bother me being around them. My point is that Whitting borders peoples back yard, yards with toddlers. Kids walking with there parents in the park. Cats are opportunists and will jump a fence to get a kid or grab a unattended child. Have you forgot about what happened years back in Caspers when the cat got that little girl then the little boy walking with her familys.
I have lost at least a dozen farm animals and two cattle dogs to cats, some livestock just killed and never eaten. How many of your pets have you lost to lions Liz?
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-10-20/news/mn-6411_1_mountain-lion-attack boy age 6
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-04-15/local/me-4888_1_lion-attack girl age 5
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dirtmistress
(R.I.P.) AKA Roadiemistress
I've met people that have lost pets to mountain lions, you included. I know people that have had dogs taken right under their noses by coyotes and Lauren escorted an older woman out of Cheseboro one evening that was being followed by coyotes as she walked her little dog.
I haven't lost any pets to lions or coyotes. Where I live, we have to worry about opportunistic dog thieves that grab and sell the dogs for a quick buck.
If I lived in the place occupied by predators, I'd do what I could to secure my animals and keep them safe . Not much else I can do.
guero
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HardtailBlazer
Member
we rode whiting this morning, and all trails were open.
thanks for the update! I called earlier today to make sure..but didnt get to talk to anyone!
ebenke
Member
It is ridiculous to close a trail due to a Mtn Lion sighting. A half hour after the sighting he was well on his way to pick some biker struggling on Mustard.
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The Whiting Ranch Mtn Lion sightings continue.. apparently
I just received this email: Yesterday, July 15th, I was running in Whiting Ranch and encountered a coyote that was clearly in distress. It allowed me to pass by - it didn't even seem to notice me. I mentioned this to two other hikers who decided to check it out. They saw the coyote and started recording it. While recording, a mountain lion walked across the trail, between them and the coyote. He has it all on video. This was on Line Shack, but the cougar tracks are all over the park. We're wondering if the coyote had a litter that was being attacked or in danger of being attacked by the mountain lion. I'm just relieved the cougar didn't chase after me when I ran past it. It apparently had no interest in the other hikers either.
This comment below was posted by David Whiting. The comment was in response to his recent Mountain Lion article in the Register
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mountain-363896-lion-lions.html I just received this email: Yesterday, July 15th, I was running in Whiting Ranch and encountered a coyote that was clearly in distress. It allowed me to pass by - it didn't even seem to notice me. I mentioned this to two other hikers who decided to check it out. They saw the coyote and started recording it. While recording, a mountain lion walked across the trail, between them and the coyote. He has it all on video. This was on Line Shack, but the cougar tracks are all over the park. We're wondering if the coyote had a litter that was being attacked or in danger of being attacked by the mountain lion. I'm just relieved the cougar didn't chase after me when I ran past it. It apparently had no interest in the other hikers either.
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