[SacredYeti]

Decided to go shred around Chula Vista Snake Trail today. I was coming down a fast single track that leads into a very tight and fast left hand rutted corner. I came into the corner, and as soon as I get the tire into the rut to nail the turn I lean in and find a surprise on the inside of a corner... a medium sized mountain lion laying down.

Here's where it get's "interesting". As soon as I saw what it was, the thing stands right up and starts not so much running, but prancing/jogging in my direction and when I got about 100ft away it just went into a sprint. I thought I was toast. But after I took a right hand turn I couldn't see or hear it anymore.

Never saw it the rest of the ride. But I'll you this much, I sure as hell didn't ride the trail back and took it upon myself to cruise through the neighborhood after.

Figured I'd share this with people. I don't really have dangerous encounters with critters to often so this had me white as a sheet. Thought I'd end up as cat food

 

[JohnE]

I was fixing a broken chain on Mt Spokane one day...some guys were shuttling up and down. At the bottom I was loading up, one of them stops by my truck and says "Did you see that bear?"
"What bear?"
"When you were fixing your chain, it was right around the corner..."
"It was?"
"Yeah, I saw a cub right uphill from you..."
"So I was between Mamma and baby?"
"Uhh, yeah, I guess..."

 

[jonKranked]

no bear no care

 

[Pesqueeb]

I've almost hit deer a couple times. Thankfully nothing with sharp pointy teeth. My little brother hit a rattlesnake once when we were kids.

 

[ultraNoob]

Here's the deal. That trail is in the canyons amidst very populated urban area. Its also just down the way from a YMCA, home depot, and bowling alley. There's also no way out of that trail network without crossing through a neighborhood or main thoroughfare. If you indeed came across a Mountain Lion...

CALL THE POLICE at (619) 691-5129 and let them know what you saw and where you saw it. Last thing we want is someone's kid getting munched on.


If I don't see it on the hotline or news tonight... I call BS

 

[jonKranked]

hey man don't hate on mountain lions... they just eat whats tasty. and babies are the other other white meat

 

[ultraNoob]

hey man don't hate on mountain lions... they just eat whats tasty. and babies are the other other white meat

I completely understand that philosophy... that's why I enjoy veal now and again.

 

[eaterofdog]

Works for tigers.

 

[jdcamb]

Run away! Run away!!

 

[Colonel Angus]

Works for tigers.

I ride in the mountains of northern New Mexico, often alone. We have a healthy population of mountain lions. Last this I want is to get pounced on when I'm bent over fixing a flat or something. So I put two eye-shaped reflective stickers on the back of my helmet.

 

[eaterofdog]

The scary thing is, if it does save your ass, you will probably never even know it.

 

[lovebunny]

I agree with sherms on this one btw. I can't think of a worse trail for there to be a mtn lion o. Call the cops and let them know

 

[ocelot]

Pfffttt that's nothing!
Here in every day Canadastan, we get chased by polar bears and dodge harpoons thrown by Inuits when riding through their igloo hoods.

 

[SacredYeti]

I let animal control know what's up and where on the trail I saw it. Yeah, the YMCA is like right next the fire station where the trailhead is so as soon as I got off the trail I handled that. Just kinda weird, first time I've ever seen a wild cat this time of the year. I mean I'm sure they are here year 'round, just normally spot them around spring/summer.

I've seen cats before, just this is the first time I've gotten "up close and personal" with one. I mean when I passed it, that thing couldn't have been more than 7ft away. Hence the reason my heart damn near stopped. Usually when I see one, they see me and hear the bell on my bars and just run the hell off somewhere and away.

ultraNoob, if it helps your concern/skepticism I can shoot an email to NBC if the cops/Animal services haven't already

:edit: In all honesty, aside from the local danger, what's really messing with my head right now is what if that cat wasn't asleep when I passed it? It's 'effing scary as hell to think about.

 

[ultraNoob]

I let animal control know what's up and where on the trail I saw it. Yeah, the YMCA is like right next the fire station where the trailhead is so as soon as I got off the trail I handled that. Just kinda weird, first time I've ever seen a wild cat this time of the year. I mean I'm sure they are here year 'round, just normally spot them around spring/summer.

I've seen cats before, just this is the first time I've gotten "up close and personal" with one. I mean when I passed it, that thing couldn't have been more than 7ft away. Hence the reason my heart damn near stopped. Usually when I see one, they see me and hear the bell on my bars and just run the hell off somewhere and away.

ultraNoob, if it helps your concern/skepticism I can shoot an email to NBC if the cops/Animal services haven't already

Please email fox5 at fox5news@tribune.com. Don't wait for Animal Control to make an official statement. The crew at fox have a dedicated person for their FB and twitter accounts. Word will spread fast.

+rep

 

[SacredYeti]

Please email fox5 at fox5news@tribune.com. Don't wait for Animal Control to make an official statement. The crew at fox have a dedicated person for their FB and twitter accounts. Word will spread fast.

+rep

Thanks for their email dude, I'm not the biggest fan of Fox but with stuff like this they are pretty persistent.

+rep returned

 

[ultraNoob]

looks like the kitty is a regular of the area

from Aug 2011
Possible mountain lion seen in Chula Vista - San Diego, California Talk Radio Station - 760 KFMB AM - 760kfmb

 

[SacredYeti]

looks like the kitty is a regular of the area

from Aug 2011
Possible mountain lion seen in Chula Vista - San Diego, California Talk Radio Station - 760 KFMB AM - 760kfmb

Personally, this is the first time I've seen or heard of a cat around here in a year or so, including bobcats. Most of the time all you'll see is the occasional coyote or rabbit, maybe a snake in the warmer months.

According to that link, however, that was a bobcat. While it wasn't anywhere near the biggest I've seen a mountain lion get, this guy had to weigh a good 200+ pounds. From the size of it, I'd say it was probably about a year, year and a half old but still plenty big enough to go to town on me if it wanted.

My theory is that thing had me in it's sights, and must've instead decided to veer off and chase a rabbit or something that it saw cross the path.

 

[ultraNoob]

I've seen deer in the area but closer to the discovery park area. Just very strange to have a big kitty during daylight hours in a place where completely surrounded by human activity

 

[norbar]

I had a similar encounter with a family of boars. Most people don't realise they are insanely overprotective over the little ones and tend to be really agressive. After reading about a guy who had his scrotum pierced by a boar I was pedaling like a TDF sprinter on all the drugs in France. Though nothing is more scary than doing a blind jump only to see a rider deciding to lay on the landing after a very mild crash "because he decided to wait there and gather his thoughts" Whipped right when I saw him and landed headtube first on a tree.

 

[RUFUS]

There is a big male coyote in the wildlife preserve on my way back home from a road ride almost every time.

He was about 50ft from me once but just looked at me. Beautiful animal but I'm not in the mood to mess with it.

 

[jdcamb]

I had a similar encounter with a family of boars. Most people don't realise they are insanely overprotective over the little ones and tend to be really agressive. After reading about a guy who had his scrotum pierced by a boar I was pedaling like a TDF sprinter on all the drugs in France. Though nothing is more scary than doing a blind jump only to see a rider deciding to lay on the landing after a very mild crash "because he decided to wait there and gather his thoughts" Whipped right when I saw him and landed headtube first on a tree.

My friends who live in Pennsylvania had their family dog stomped to death by feral pigs. Their Son was chased on his ATV by a pack of them. They sound effing frightening.

 

[eaterofdog]

I rode by what I thought was a branch, lying in the middle of the dirt road. It was a huge, gravid eastern diamondback. The reason I thought it was a branch was it was so big I never even gave it a glance. I passed within a foot and when she drew back to strike, I realized what it was and I did this within a split second.

Holy christ it was a big snake.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I do a lot of solo night riding and see many sets of eyes watching me, mostly deer and crack heads though.

 

[ultraNoob]

I was planning on night riding that trail tomorrow night with a few buds... think we're gonna postpone.

 

[jdcamb]

I rode by what I thought was a branch, lying in the middle of the dirt road. It was a huge, gravid eastern diamondback. The reason I thought it was a branch was it was so big I never even gave it a glance. I passed within a foot and when she drew back to strike, I realized what it was and I did this within a split second.

Holy christ it was a big snake.

Pee Wees bike blah blah blah....

 

[lovebunny]

I was planning on night riding that trail tomorrow night with a few buds... think we're gonna postpone.

thats the first thing andy (my brother) said when i told him.

 

[ultraNoob]

Spoke to my homie at cvpd dispatch... no mention of sighting in todays logs. College buddy at fox 5 hasn't heard anything either... gonna call sd and CV animal control in the morning.

 

[descente]

for every 1 you see 9 see you and you don't even know it...

the last coyote i saw wanted to play with me, wanted me to chase it like my dog

 

[ultraNoob]

...the last coyote i saw wanted to play with me, wanted me to chase it like my dog

 

[ultraNoob]

hmmmm

SD and CV animal have no record of a call regarding Mtn Lion sighting in that area for November 30, 2011.....

I'll check again tomorrow morning. If its still a negative... I'm gonna take that +rep back.

 

[HardtailHack]

Here's the deal. That trail is in the canyons amidst very populated urban area. Its also just down the way from a YMCA, home depot, and bowling alley. There's also no way out of that trail network without crossing through a neighborhood or main thoroughfare. If you indeed came across a Mountain Lion...

CALL THE POLICE at (619) 691-5129 and let them know what you saw and where you saw it. Last thing we want is someone's kid getting munched on.

If I don't see it on the hotline or news tonight... I call BS

YMCA= Churchie kids and Paedeo's- Who cares?
Home Depot= People that don't support the smaller guys- Who cares?
Bowling Alley= Bunch of fat retards that pretend they play a sport, again, who cares?

 

[ultraNoob]

YMCA= Churchie kids and Paedeo's- Who cares?
Home Depot= People that don't support the smaller guys- Who cares?
Bowling Alley= Bunch of fat retards that pretend they play a sport, again, who cares?

 

[SacredYeti]

hmmmm

SD and CV animal have no record of a call regarding Mtn Lion sighting in that area for November 30, 2011.....

I'll check again tomorrow morning. If its still a negative... I'm gonna take that +rep back.

huh, animal said they got 911 so maybe they just didn't care or got no other reports.

 

[jdcamb]

I was working on one of my trails today. Minding my own business moving a tree off the trail with a come along. Well this women comes up to me and she wanted to talk. I asked her to help me as I was struggling as the tree is across the trail on a upslope. So she says to me that I should leave it as it will prevent the bikers from riding here. I then informed her that she is hiking on a trail built by bikers and asked her why they shouldn't be allowed to ride there as they built the trail. She walked away. I moved the tree for her anyways....

 

[lovebunny]

i saw a news article on it. im too lazy to find it though.

 

[bizutch]

I was working on one of my trails today. Minding my own business moving a tree off the trail with a come along. Well this women comes up to me and she wanted to talk. I asked her to help me as I was struggling as the tree is across the trail on a upslope. So she says to me that I should leave it as it will prevent the bikers from riding here. I then informed her that she is hiking on a trail built by bikers and asked her why they shouldn't be allowed to ride there as they built the trail. She walked away. I moved the tree for her anyways....

Push her down and take her shoes. Call the Forest Service and report a reckless hiker tearing up the trails with her bare feet.

 

[jdcamb]

Push her down and take her shoes. Call the Forest Service and report a reckless hiker tearing up the trails with her bare feet.

She showed up with a team of nice people and we chopped it up and dragged it out of the woods. We even took care of another tree. 14 folks 3 dogs and a box of DD coffee. It was a good day....