[pct-l] Bear Questions & Mutant Saber Tooth Mountain Lions

[Hiker97 at aol.com]

_wandering_bob at comcast.net_ (mailto:wandering_bob at comcast.net)   writes: If 
by some chance the critter is big enough to carry off your  (unmodified) bear 
can, it's probably in your best interest not to confront or  upset it anyway.
----------------------------------------------------
Interestingly, the only animal I have seen big enough to carry off a full  
sized bear canister easily are the mutant saber tooth mountain lions near Warner 
 Springs in Section A (the infamous PCT Warner Springs Loop) and a few on  
the JMT/PCT.
 
You are right about not bugging them.  Since the 1920s when the last  grizzly 
was killed in California, they have pretty much had their way.  But  they are 
very stealth, so a lot of hikers do not know about them.  Every  year a few 
hikers go missing along the trail and in the Sierras in  general. 
 
You could add the BigFoot in northern California too, but they are  pretty 
hiker friendly now, so that is why the Forest Service, etc., does  not have a 
lot of canister requirements up there.  Back in the old days 40  years ago, my 
hiking partner, Rattlesnake out of Denver, Co., and I use to run  into them on 
the PCT in the Sierras all the time when their range was more  extensive.
 
I guess I have made my point.  I thank  you.
 
Switchback the Mutant
 


 



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