[pct-l] Mountain Lion Attacks

[Roger Carpenter]

I agree with Strider that carrying something that could help you fend off a
lion attack would be wise.  On my thru hike in 1996 I carried an ice ax all
the way from Campo to Canada.  At least several other thru hikers questioned
the wisdom of this, but I found an ice ax is a great tool for several
things, not to mention as a great cat hole digger.  I met some tourists near
Mt. Hood while taking a break who asked me, "what's that implement for?"  I
explained it was my predator killer, meaning beast or human, whatever was
necessary to protect me.  The only problem is when another hiker sees me
walking along the trail carrying this potentially lethal weapon.  I didn't
want to be viewed as a threat to anyone so I usually dropped the ice ax to
the ground.  On the other hand, I nearly whacked a very un-friendly dog in
the head when it drew near with it's teeth baring down on my leg.  I think
the conversation with the dog's owner ended with him saying "up yours" or
something like that!  But I didn't get bitten.


In 1995 in southern California at the foot Liebre Mtn I saw two mountain
lions at a pond.  In 1996 some thru hikers were being stalked by a lion
above Cottonwood Creek just south of Mojave.  I've heard that mountain lions
will see and follow hikers a lot more than hikers will ever see them.

Roger Carpenter


> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]On Behalf Of Bighummel at aol.com
> Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 10:32 AM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Mountain Lion Attacks
>
>
> First, at the last ADZ we had an expert from SD county on Mtn Lions come
> give a great talk to PCT'ers and we will again try to get one
> there this year to
> alleve aspiring hiker's worries and educate them about this.
>
> Secondly, this is a very good reason to carry an ice axe and/or trekking
> poles through risky Mtn Lion areas.  Raising you arms with the
> trekking  poles
> makes you appear larger and more potentially threatening to a
> lion, and,  of
> course, an ice axe in the hand is a wicked weapon to wield and
> could impart  some
> serious injury to the lion in an attack, and thereby help to
> prevent it or
> thwart it once begun.
>
> Me?  I hiked the trail when the mountain lion population was hunted to
> extremely small numbers and saw none, not a paw print in the
> trail, nada.   Too few
> Mtn lions means too many starving deer.  Too many Mtn lions means
>  too little
> food sources for the lions and thus hungry lions.
>
> Oh, and it helps to be really, really big, like . . . well  . .
> .  6'9"!!!
>
> Greg "Strider" Hummel
>
> ("an ice axe in the hand is worth two in the  bush!")
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