mtbMike
iMTB Rockstah
I think the bobcat I saw in Prescott was my favorite sighting ever....probably because I made it to age 53 and nearly 39 years of riding bikes on dirt before I ever saw one.
It was a fat bike, could have been a fixed gear bike too. With skinny jeans and a beard, maybe it wasn't a mountain lion?That's a truly special sighting. I've never seen a mountain lion riding any kind of bike. How do they operate the brakes?
Well, I have a lot of miles on that path. My commute took my through Hidden Valley for a few years, according to Strava I have hit the one segment 805 times.....I don't think I've seen so much as a common rat snake on SART. Hmmm....maybe this weekend.
Well, I have a lot of miles on that path. My commute took my through Hidden Valley for a few years, according to Strava I have hit the one segment 805 times...
Haha...that big tom got more ornery with time. Before his disappearance he was right aggressive to anything like or with a bike. He'd get pissed off when you blocked him with your bike, a la SnakeCharmer's bad dog defense. I was picking up trash one morning and he really came at me, thinking he ruled the place. He had to re-think that when he got a good boot to the chest. Birdbrain...this is an awesome thread!
Weird thing I ever saw. A Monday at Holy Jim parking lot. A very large turkey was roaming the parking lot. He had a very blue chin flap thingy...
Wow, I said. Nice turkey. Sure is big. I was a good 20 feet from it. The turkey went straight to me, on the attack! I used my blue pivot to block it from pecking at me but the crazy bird .. hissing and attacking.. I backed up... dropped the bike. and the turkey pecked at my bike and then stopped...
and wandered off..
I think it was attacking its own blue reflection... dumm bird..
I don't think I've seen so much as a common rat snake on SART. Hmmm....maybe this weekend.
I've encountered a lot of bears when i used to walk my dog in the woods back east, she used to take off after them and send them up trees, or through the bushes.... after a sighting I would be cautious, but not nervous. If I saw cubs then I would generally take another route... black bears generally split pretty fast once they smell or hear you... but everytime I met a moose, i got a little nervous, just crossing my fingers that it wouldn't charge...What’s the most dangerous of the ones you’ve seen?
Rattlers and large carnivores obviously have a danger element. But almost all animals would rather run than fight. Not the bull moose we saw; he was not budging and in fact took a few steps toward us out of the brush. That was creepy, knowing that they do kill people and are known to be testy. Nice moosie...
That’s awesome!
Right, no big cats in the coastal parks... Two sightings in Aliso Woods in the 90s. Yep, they all packed up and moved to Whiting, every one.Snakes, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, deer locally. Pretty sure I've seen cat tracks locally too, even though the official word is no mountain lions out here in the coastal parks.
Bears in the Sierras and San Bernardinos.
Bald eagle in Big Bear.
Lately lots of tarantula hawks; very pretty but badass!
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Ah, forgot about my tarantula hawk sighting! He was dragging a tarantula down the Moro Ridge fireroad right at the Missing Link turnoff. Pretty cool to see.Lately lots of tarantula hawks; very pretty but badass!
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Several years ago while on a night ride (Old Camp), a mountain lion crossed in front of us and when we looked to the side there were two sets of eyes staring back at us. Swoosh down the hill we went!
I have not seen a bear but we did see lots of bear poop on a Chantry group ride.
And there has been many Chewy sightings ... but he's not on this forum.
13 lb bugzzzzz what the hell? congrats on being awwesomeI was diving at about 30' @ Harris Pt on the north tip of San Miguel Island. I saw a huge pile of muscle shells tumbled off the side of the submarine canyon. I was out looking for big bugs and ended up under the island in the merky blue I looked up and saw two eyes from Pirates of the Caribean, then I thought hey I am not at Dissyland, and those eyes they were huge and staring at me. Then I realized there was a giant nose between them and an even bigger head. It was a bull elephant seal which weighs about 25o0 lbs on the land and stands up to 9ft tall on his belly. He was underwater so size and weight do not matter. It scared the crap out of me so I quickly turned back down the canyon. Then a huge surge came and tried to sweep me into the island, I grabbed the walls but they were smooth with no life (because I was under the island and nothing grows in the dark). I skidded up the canyon for a bit and then dashed out never looking back. Lucky for me I had a 12 lb and a 13 lb bug in my dive bag so it was the end of a great day.
Happy big animal encounters
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So beautiful!Not my story and not a bike ride but what a beautiful cat. Look at the size of the head, legs and paws. Perfect coat too. Lots of mtb trials on Vancouver Island - and this guy is watching.
Reminds me of this one, also in BC.Not my story and not a bike ride but what a beautiful cat. Look at the size of the head, legs and paws. Perfect coat too. Lots of mtb trials on Vancouver Island - and this guy is watching.
Wild turkeys have been present in the Santa Anas. One time I saw about ten of them together. The pair that hung around the parking lot were wild but acclimated. I think someone grabbed one or both of them...mike.. is that big tom turkey a wild turkey or some one's pet? well I'm sure that turkey is a goner now w/ the fires... roasted turkey.. not funny...
resident big tom turkey at the Holy Jim parking lot...