[pct-l] Pct-l - Animal Attacks

[Hiker97 at aol.com]

_longwalk2653 at gmail.com_ (mailto:longwalk2653 at gmail.com)  writes: I  am 
starting my southbound solo thru of the PCT around July 5th... I have a  question 
about animal attacks...Am I significantly more likely to be  stalked/attacked 
when hiking solo?  Am I really going to be actively hunted  by coyotes in the 
dessert night (I plan on walking mostly at night)?  Do  animals out there 
really see me as a meal?  Or are my survivalist family  members just being overly 
paranoid?
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Switchback replies: No, they are not being paranoid at all.  It is a  very 
good PCT question.  There are stalking mutant saber tooth mountain  lions near 
the PCT Warner Springs Loop.  They especially like to hang  out around the 
Clinton C. Clarke tree to pick off unwary hikers.  At the  big Walker Pass Food 
Ruck last weekend, I noticed circling hiker eating  giant condors.  And of 
course, there are always the 20 foot long sleeping  bag swallowing snakes --- no 
problem as long as you keep your Sharp's  mountainman rifle next to you.  

 
But I must admit, when I first started hiking the PCT in 1970 all of  these 
were much more common.  This was back when the final Ice Age glaciers  were 
retreating from the Sierras.  We had to contend with giant hiker  stomping 
Mammoths too.  Of course, that was in an age when  mountainmen were mountainmen.



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