Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board mountain lions

From this Friday's Yosemite Daily Report:

"Trail Closure: Due to recent Mountain Lion sightings and activity, the following trails are closed - East trail along Ahwahnee Meadow towards Ahwahnee dorm and continuing to the tennis courts and the trail from Church Bowl past the stables to Lower Yosemite Falls until further notice. (L. Fazio - 9/12/06)"

One of my worries when hiking in the backcountry is coming face-to-face with a mountain lion. I've thought of but have never gone so far as to bring along a slingshot or pepper spray.

There's an old movie line: "Don't shoot him, you'll only make him mad." I think a slingshot might do that to a cougar. I don't think there's much danger of that, though. If a cougar wants you, ths first sign you're likely to have of his presence is his fangs sinking into your neck from behind.

Alan; come on. Just keep the little ones close and play BIG bear if you come face to face. Above all don't let the little kids wander alone, lots of lions on the East side 'big horn sheep don' ya know.'

It'd probably be a good thing if you came "face to face" with a mountain lion vs. having one silently stalk you and pounce on you from behind. At least if you saw it coming, you'd have a fighting chance to defend yourself. As Alan says above, you probably wouldn't know it until it was too late.

I had some concerns about this during recent visits to the White Mountains and Telescope Peak, since I was traveling alone. The Rangers in Death Valley pointed me to this web page - the information there was very useful:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news04/04009.html

I have seen one mountain lion in all my hiking years. It was in the national forest outside Yosemite. He was scared at our sight and ran away. I have seen some nasty size prints in many of my hikes in So Cal and in the Sierras. Use prudence, be prepared but don't let it worry you. We need to cohabit with them.

Now, if you want to talk about grizzlies...that's another topic for another time..

it is undeniable that the numbers of ML's have increased in the last several years. Since ML's have no natural enemy and are at the top of the food chain the numbers will continue to increase where urban expansion does not hinder that growth. Would allowing hunting under a tag system similar to the system in place with deer cause ML's to have more of a fear of people? Would this decrease encounters with people? I hate to see any animals hunted but I also would like to see ML's more fearful of people so they would stay away and not see us as dinner. Any thoughts? I know some will say no way never hunt them, but is this a viable option?

Kevin, Yes, managing mountain lions by the DFG is a viable option. It used to be the case, but was taken away by getting the city people to vote on it. Since then, their numbers have increased and hence their range, as the young males have to head out and claim a territory or else deal with the resident tom and usually get beaten up pretty badly if not killed.
Here's a mountain lion rear approach avoidance tip, get some of those "eye buttons" with the loose black eye that moves around inside and pin 2 of them to the back of your hat--simulating eyes in the back of your head--this will deter the rear sneak approach...........

Passinthru,
I've heard that in India, tigers would take the last guy (villager) in the line when they walked thru the forest. The solution was that the last guy would wear a mask of a human face on the back of his head. I guess tigers like to attack from behind and the mask would confuse the tiger into not attacking.

I have encountered Mountain Lions more times than I can remember. In recent years even more so. Usually they have not advanced toward us, but I have had them tag along. It is a bit unnerving to have a full size Tom hangin around just checking you and your group out. They are predators and are either sleeping, hunting the next meal or just finished hunting. After dark (away from camp) is the only time it somewhat bothers me to be Lion country. Other than that, if a Lion decides to make you the next meal and you are not prepared you're in trouble... Same goes for a Grizzly of course... Or if you're a diver, there's that other predator... Hey, its part of the experience. You know the old saying, if you can't handle the heat....

The chances of seeing one while hiking are extremely remote. A tiny percentage of hikers ever see one while hiking (maybe that's a good thing!)

Has anyone here on this Board ever seen a mountain lion while hiking? I've never seen one, and have never known anyone to have seen one except Bob (I think), who saw one at 2:00 am in Little Yosemite Valley. The chances of seeing one while hiking are extremely remote.

I live and work on the edge of Angeles National Forest in an area (Santa Clarita) that is being heavily developed. I still run to work through a remote area, usually at night. I've seen plenty of mountain lion tracks, but the only one I ever actually saw was hanging around outside the place I work!!!! It didn't seem to be afraid of people at all and we even had time to videotape it. Very strange, if not scary behavior for a mountain lion. I didn't run to work for a few weeks after that.

I thought about wearing a headlight on the back of my head to confuse them since they prefer to attack from behind. But I also read that running away from them triggers their instinct to attack. My concern is that they will think I'm running away.

/// The chances of seeing one while hiking are extremely remote. ///

Reminds me of a conversation I had with an experienced diver about diving in the Point Loma kelp beds. They are reputed to be shark infested, but I said that I'd never seen a shark in many years of diving there. He just smiled and said, "yes, but they've seen you!" I suspect that the same is true of mountain lions.

I've seen mountain lions a few times, the best was while hiking in the foothills east of Topaz (near Round Mountain) - 2 cubs, figured mama was nearby and left quickly.

Three years ago I was solo hiking north from Milestone Basin to the headwaters of the Kern southwest of Lake South America. I just got this funny feeling that someone - or something - was watching me most of the way. As I was setting up the tent in early afternoon, I heard the most God-awful "scream" from somewhere very close, just south of me in some rocks. My unproven theory - it was a cat who was stalking me and just letting me know that only by the goodness of his heart we avoided a "What's for lunch" confrontation.

Last year I was solo camped at the southeast edge of the large stand of trees northeast of the Tyndall Creek / PCT intersection. As I approached, I saw a bunch of small deer retreat into the forest. A bit later I heard a sudden loud bleating racket from very close, hidden by tne trees, then followed a few minutes later by softer back and forth cat sounds. Another unproven theory - a cat with cubs had killed a deer. And it was no longer hungry.

Never saw either cat, but it was kind of eerie.

I carry a large pack with trekking ploles, act tall and stop and look often. And while it may offer only something to keep me busy til I died, I always keep be prepared to fight back in my mind.

Did my 'face to face' at Symmes Creek TH in '04. For some good lion pics ck out The Eastern California Museum in Independence; along with Norman Clyde's .45-cal auto that he would allways carry.

The only one I've seen face-to-face was through the windshield of my truck as it ran across the road just in front of me at 9:30 at night. This was in town, at the cemetary in San Marcos.

I have had track in the mud right outside my front door, in a rural but not remote area.

I have had similar feelings of being stalked on a couple occasions, and again tried to look big and make a lot of noise. Still, only much closer to home did I ever see one.

Reports of mountain lions sightings are common to the CA Central Coast where I live; 2 or 3 per yr. Last one was by a school. I've seen a large one while in my truck at night on a remote dirt road and have seen large tracks in the snow by Cuyama Mts. Tracks look like a large dog without the nail prints. I was doing training hikes at Gaviota Peak, an area where a small boy was attacked a few years ago. There is one section near the top where the trail is overgrown with tall brush and sharp turns. I got spooked. I was carring a small canister horn (the kind used by lake skiers)and decided to give it a blast to let any animals know I was there. A split second after I sounded the horn I heard a woman scream!!! She was on the backside of the turn walking down with her daughter. After many apologies and a very red face, I continued to the top. I now leave the horn at home.

Candace, I myself have seen three in my 30+ years of hiking the Southern and Central California trails. All of them in the Los Padres National Forest. Twice in the Mount Pinos area and once in the Reyes Peak area above Ojai (Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail at Haddock Camp).

One thing I will say about all of the encounters was that the cats seemed more curious and not aggressive at all. The most recent was in 2005 in a Whitney prep hike with my buddy. The Cougar was roughly 50 feet away across a very shallow ravine (I like Bob said to myself "that is a pretty big Bobcat" until I really focused in). What a magnificent animal. Probably 70 pounds or so. I think a group on horseback going from Mt. Abel to Sheep Camp caught his/her attention. But after the pack proceeded ahead of us, he/she continued to stare at us. Not intimidated at all. After abourt 20 seconds (which seemed much longer) it just moseyed off. I mean really non chalant. Really cool experience, much like my other two. Quick and uneventful, but something I will never forget. Like a Bear sighting.

Yes, the sightings are rare. Lord knows all I've seen is tracks anywhere, which is actually preferable to me!

Since I am going to Yosemite in a few weeks, and this is recent news/activity, are there any recommendations on gear to carry (like pepper spray). I know about the make yourself bigger, make noise, etc. (Great link earlier in this string).

I will be hiking the Panorama and Half Dome Trails, and I'm going to be on my own so anything I can do to protect myself is a bonus.

Thanks!
-Laura