Mountain Lion above Luge?

I did a search and didn't see anything on it, so if its a duplicate Mods, please combine.

This has been making the rounds on Facebook the last few days. Apparently someone had an encounter with a big kitty on STT above the Luge.

Yeah it was a pretty gnarly deal. My buddy Eric rides there later quite a bit after work, and was heading up the climb past the Luge when he saw the lion crouched down in the bushes creeping on him. He got off his bike to flip around and bail out of there when it came out of the bushes and started backing him up hill on the trails. My buddy stood his bike up on the rear tire to try and get it to move, but he said it was not budging. Totally unafraid and straight eyeballing him. He started to chuck rocks, yelling etc and then it finally went into the bushes. So Eric took the open chance to start booking it down the trail, he looked back and the cat was chasing him, he lost control and ate it into the side of the trail. He had another face off doing all he could to get it to take off back into the bushes once again. So gnarly. He said he's never been so afraid, thinking for sure it was not going to end very well. I told him he needs to report the incident to the forest service.​

I don't know if trying to "book it down the trail" was the smartest idea...

Anyone else have any info? Any other sightings? It seems like this cat is either not afraid of people, or is REALLY hungry. Either way, that is bad news.

 

It is hard to completely trust second hand news, although the woman who posted her friend's story is legit. Very odd behavior for a mountain lion though.

 

There are lions in them thar hills. Remember a woman survived an attack several yrs ago there and a man was killed the same day. One reason I don't like to "ride alone".

 

Holy Moley... Maybe my solo jaunts up Cadillac aren't such a great idea. (Cadillac is the really lonely remote way to get above the Luge for our non-OC readers and it gains something like 1900 feet in 2 miles)

 

Pfffffffttttt......mountain lions.

 

Always cats there; though that seems pretty aggressive. Maybe a kill nearby?
Kioti probably knows more about the Luge area than anyone.

 

Just squirt em with water, cats HATE water!

 

Sounds like a good time to beat the crowd.

 

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe he was protecting a kill or maybe some cubs?

 

They are there, if they want you, they will have you. Advice below says for bears, but same concept for mountain lions. And it doesn't really matter if you have a knife or anything else, if they really want you.....

 

My advice is to stay away from that area and give it time to move on.

 

I'll take that advice and skip the Old Camp run I was considering for tomorrow...

 

I was thinking of Old Camp too!!! ..........Negative

 

No need to worry. Just ride somewhere out of the area. Just about as far as the cat probably is from that area about now.

 

Yeah? You don't have to tell me twice. Haha. I'll stay out of there for a while for sure.

 

So here I am up at 5am getting ready for a 6am run up STT to Luge......first ride this week.
think I'll take this advice and just do a couple Whiting loops instead.

A few years ago I was heading to the Luge and had a rider tell me they encountered a Cat on the Luge trail while descending. Difference here is the apparent aggression.

 

I posted a sign this morning on the STT gate, warning of the mountain lion and it's behavior (if it's the same one). I'd usually consider it extremely fortunate to see a mountain lion around here, but the apparent lack of fear and following of riders is troubling. My concern is both for the safety of trail users and that of the mountain lions.

 

Exactly... I'd love to see one, but it sounds like this isn't the particular lion I'd like to come across. We had the same issue with alligators in Florida. They were, quite literally, everywhere that there was water. Normally, they are spooked by humans. As soon as they are not, and stand their ground, it's a different issue.

One of the funniest images that I'll never forget... My head custodian sweeping one off the high school quad with a broom early in the morning before the kids arrived.

 

eat one yuppy and an hour later your hungry again

 

not if you are the dude in Revanant... then swim and be all better...

 

Its about how I feel about riding the luge at the moment. Adding to the fact that cougars have a territory range between 58-300 sq miles.

 

Mountain lions are always out there. We just don't see them all the time but they do. I wouldn't worry about this. Keep riding if anything just make sure you bring a friend that's smaller and slower than you.

 

I was out night riding last Tuesday about 10:30 pm with 3 friends (one week ago) and saw a big lion. I was coming down from Jeep about 1/4 to 1/2 mile above the top of the Luge. I seemed to have scared it as it ran quickly into the bushes. It scared me pretty good and had my adrenaline pumping. I've never seen one let alone that close. It was probably 10 feet from me.

 

Bet ya had to wash your chamois twice after that ride!

 

Damn.... and I was just going to make a post asking if the initial "sighting" makin ghe rounds was a hoax since no one else has seen one and no one that I know who forwarded the message actually knew who wrote the first one (it was always a friend of a friend of a friend who knew someone.....)

Looks like I'll do a different ride tomorrow evening.

 

Yes it was legit and I saw someone post on Strava the handwritten warning and that is how I found this forum I was checking to see if anyone else saw it.

 

I could not concentrate going down the luge I kept seeing the image of that lion in my mind.

 

just bring a picture of Chuck Norris with you on the next ride. Show it to that lion and it will turn and run like a scared mtb biker that just saw a lion up close IN THE WILD!

 

F@ck cats

 

Ah, a cat hater. They sense that, you know. Better put some eyes on the back of your helmet, tendervittles. Do you hate coyotes, raptors and PO, too? Better stay inside.