Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[kahn]

Edward Abbey wrote an essay about hiking back to his fire-tower lookout job and experience with ‘griz’ and how it changed his wilderness experience for the better. He says you need the animals to really appreciate the wilderness.

I like Abbey a lot. When the chain saws ran into metal supports for billboards, the next scene is acetylene torches in the dark tackling the metal ones that replaced the wood.

I guess that griz adds to the wild fear, ahem feel of the backcountry but... That's been the debate here in WA state - reintroduce those beasts or allow them to slowly reenter the state from Canada.

 

[Sparky731]

My wild animal experience yesterday …

 

[Mulezen]

I have been arguing with my farmer friends about how the re-introduction of the red wolves is a good thing…reduce the coyote and groundhog population…keep the deer out of the roads…I’ll look through my library for the relevant essay and a pithy quote.

 

[Chargeride]

There are bears in the US and Canada, literally living in the woods.
There is no fence, they could theoretically walk into New York.

This blows my mind, I wouldnt go outside if there were bears in the UK.

 

[Mulezen]

Some bears lately have been running through the suburbs further towards Richmond VA. They are relatively young coming down the river drainages from the hills in the west. I read an excellent book about bears in New Hampshire where the author maintained a friendship with a bear (after saving her as a cub) for 15 years and counting. He was no scientist but he is now after some ground breaking papers. The ethics, the counting ability (he’d fairly regularly give her a sleeve of a dozen Oreos…when he shorted her he heard about it). Scientists from China came to see how he interacted with bears and have adapted his methods.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

This blows my mind, I wouldnt go outside if there were bears in the UK.

There are brown bears in some Polish mountains (like, Bieszczady in Carpathia, bordering with Ukraine and Slovakia) but we hear of no related accidents.

 

[Chargeride]

Im sending you some bear spray.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Lots of bears in upstate NY. There’s been a couple in our daughter’s neighborhood this spring not far from Albany, and one was tranquilized and transported up to the Adirondacks just the other day from a cemetery in the city of Albany. Back in my police days down in Dutchess County we had bear calls every spring. My brother looked out on his deck last year and there was a small bear standing there looking right back at him.

 

[BlackHand]

There are bears in the US and Canada, literally living in the woods.
There is no fence, they could theoretically walk into New York.

This blows my mind, I wouldnt go outside if there were bears in the UK.

I heard there was just a recent sighting ...

 

[CodyDog]

Back in Texas from Colorado. 101 degrees and getting very dry. I miss that mountain weather already.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Boy, that bike is gorgeous

 

[CodyDog]

Boy, that bike is gorgeous

Thanks Dave!

 

[DaveMatthews]

Boy, that bike is gorgeous

I dunno man... It doesn't stand out enough...

 

[Mulezen]

It sure stands out better than my old rusty truck

 

[kahn]

There are bears in the US and Canada, literally living in the woods.
There is no fence, they could theoretically walk into New York.

This blows my mind, I wouldnt go outside if there were bears in the UK.

Well!!!!

Here's two recent articles on our bear and cougar (not older woman, younger man), mountain lion, puma incidents. Actually, the park in Seattle where I ride at least once a week has had two cougars captured but not in a while. Seattle is about as urban as you can get. We do have coyotes as seen outside my house more than once. But the cougar "sightings" were poo-paed at first since it is so urban. But they were finally found, sedated and moved to more appropriate terrain. They theorize that they followed railroad tracks into the city. Black bears are a dime a dozen in WA state. Years ago, I had a bear cub run across my sleeping bag with mom right there, too.

Bear sightings are common in East King County as development expands into their habitat

The recent killing of an Eastside black bear that looked to humans for food underscores the need to learn how to coexist with the animals, wildlife officials say.

www.seattletimes.com

9-year-old girl recovering after cougar attack in Eastern WA

A 9-year-old is making an "amazing" recovery, her mother says, after being attacked Saturday by a cougar in Stevens County. She is hospitalized in stable condition.

www.seattletimes.com

 

[Prairie Dog]

Bears typically shy away from people but encounters no doubt can potentially lead to trouble on the trail. Chance encounter happen more often than one might think and it’s often a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or just being blatantly stupid to think these creatures won’t charge if they feel threatened.

Peak tourist season in Banff is only a month away and together with more frequent sightings are not a good mix. Parks Canada bear report over the past week.

Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks: weekly bear report

Weekly bear reports have ended for the 2022 season and will start again in the spring of 2023.

www.pc.gc.ca

 

[reed scott]

Bears typically shy away from people but encounters no doubt can potentially lead to trouble on the trail. Chance encounter happen more often than one might think and it’s often a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or just being blatantly stupid to think these creatures won’t charge if they feel threatened.

View attachment 125540

Peak tourist season in Banff is only a month away and together with more frequent sightings are not a good mix. Parks Canada bear report over the past week.

Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks: weekly bear report

Weekly bear reports have ended for the 2022 season and will start again in the spring of 2023.

www.pc.gc.ca

You'd think with all the information out there, all the warning signs posted ... people would use a little common sense.

 

[RabH]

Another blustery day but at least it was dry and the winds were only around 20mph this time, it was very overcast and threathening rain but I only got a little wet late in my ride! All I could see was darkness on my return journey, I was sure I was in for a proper soaking but my luck was in and it cleared up! Not the most scenic route today but I was glad to get out again and enjoy some pretty awesome roads!

I normally come down this one at over 40mph but decided it was time to climb it for a change, the road over the bridge is badly in need of repair but I'm sure my 44lb bike wasn't going to cause a problem!

After the big climb which goes on for quite a bit I was back on a familiar road which leads to a big descent where I was just under 45mph today with the 20mph wind almost directly behind me, thankfully this road is way smoother!

Almost home now and I dropped by the local loch to grab a few photos, no sunshine on the loch today...it was actually raining at this point!

I really enjoyed this ride today, I actually had to change my route as the road I was intending to use was closed! I thought about chancing it but decided to just head in another direction on mostly nice quiet roads! No sign of any bears thankfully! I did have a crazy squirrel run out from the brush when I was flying down a big descent, I'm not sure who got the bigger fright!

 

[Chargeride]

I snapped my chain today and repaired it with a pair of wire cutters.
Just call me mcgyver

 

[kahn]

I snapped my chain today and repaired it with a pair of wire cutters.
Just call me mcgyver

Do you keep the wire cutters next to the bear repellent?