[pct-l] Cougars

[Diarmaid Harmon]

Hey Steel-eye. 

 I have seen many sings of cougar in and around Mt Hood. I started following a set of tracks one year when I was snowshoeing at Enid lake I realized I hat walked in a big circle and the cat was following me as I followed it. I have only seen a cougar once and that was at Fish Creek. I was camped at the Armstrong campground and was up early drinking coffee with my back to a tree. The cougar came out of the underbrush across the river and started to drink. I don't know to this day what spooked the cat but it suddenly retreated back in to the brush. A very cool sighting but I feel I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. 

Irish. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 21, 2013, at 6:25 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote:

> Good morning,
> 
> It seems every year there surfaces concern and discussion about cougars.  My
> experiences with cougars is severely limited because in spite of the fact
> that I’ve been hiking the mountain west since the Eisenhower administration
> I’ve never seen a cougar in the wild, on the hoof – so to speak.
> 
> I’ve seen lots of tracks, but tracks aren’t very threatening, and I’ve
> never seen where the tracks end.  One morning on the PCT just north of
> Chinook Pass, near Sourdough Gap, I stopped to get some Peanut M&Ms out of
> my pack when another NoBo hiker passed me.  After chatting for a while he
> continued.  Within 5 minutes I had my treat in hand and I also continued.  I
> was looking at the other hiker’s tracks in the fine trail dust, and within
> ¼ mile I was surprised to see 7” diameter cougar tracks covering his.  I
> hurried on hoping to sight the cat but it either heard me, or just had its
> curiosity satisfied because the tracks left the trail.  Mid-day I overtook
> the other hiker and asked if he had seen the cat, but he hadn’t.
> 
> I’ve encountered freshly-killed deer that were partially eaten and covered.
> I’ve heard cougars scream in the night – chilling, but harmless.
> 
> Once in far NE Oregon I crawled into a high-up cave and found an empty bed
> that had lots of hair that looked like it came from a yellow Lab dog, but
> again no cat.
> 
> Another time in C. Oregon near Stormy Lake below Irish Mountain, I was
> hiking along in the middle of the day when I instantly felt that prickly
> feeling of impending danger.  Seeing nothing ahead or toward the sides I
> spun around, fully expecting to see an incoming tawny ball of teeth and
> claws.  Nothing – not even crickets.  I have no idea why I got that danger
> warning, but I’m absolutely certain that over the years I’ve been watched
> innumerable times, and probably followed – I won’t say stalked, just
> followed.
> 
> Numerous times on trails around Mt. Hood where I train I’ve seen cougar
> territory-markings on the trail tread consisting of two, foot-long scuff
> marks.  Supposedly they also scent-spray the same place but I’ve never
> smelled any.  Once I encountered the same markings on the PCT in N.
> California near Grizzly Peak which can be seen here
> http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=425760
> 
> http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=425761
> 
> Cougars are carnivorous sight-hunters and don’t really rely upon their
> noses.  It’s very unlikely they would have any interest in anything in your
> food stash, and wouldn’t approach even if you hiked dragging a pork chop on
> a string.
> 
> People love to relate stories about cougar sightings, and those people are
> either incredibly lucky or incredibly imaginative – I leave it to you to
> decide.  Sensational media loves to cover such stories, but considering the
> number of hours that people spend in cougar habitat every year, and the
> dearth of reports, it’s clear to me that the chance of a experiencing a
> difficulty – or even making a sighting – is vanishingly small.
> 
> On the bottom of this site
> http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=167914  are comments about
> cougars by a prominent and experienced outdoorsman.
> 
> Steel-Eye
> 
> -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
> 
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
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