Halfstep

Okay, this didn't happen on a commute, but I figured I'd post it here since the "When Animals ATTACK!" post was here and it reminded me of this story.

My family and I were vacationing in the Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan. One of my favorite things about vacationing there is the beautiful, challenging ride around Glen Lake. Sometimes I make it up the hill, sometimes I don't, but the ride back down and then across the causeway is worth it every time.

Anyway, a couple of years ago, we went back so the boys (then 4 and 6) could try their might at climbing the big dune. It was early spring and we were reminded of it every night and morning as we saw our breath inside the tent. I went around Glen Lake every day after breakfast while the boys and my wife relaxed at camp before a day of walking and hiking. I was around the "back" side of the lake (the side opposite Lake Michigan and the dunes) and making pretty good time (I think about 16 to 18 mph) when I heard it behind me in the woods.

Someone's very large, very angry cat was lost in the woods. I heard it "scream", again, a little closer. Okay, maybe that's not exactly a housecat. Now going 20mph. Once more. If that's a cat, I'm the freakin' King of England. I put on as much speed as I can muster (I have no idea how much as I was watching the road and woods, not the computer) and pray I'm faster than it is. When I get back to camp, I tell my wife about it and she says it was probably just someone's cat.

Fast forward to the next morning. It's the coldest one so far and we decide it's way too cold to make breakfast in camp, so we head to Glen Arbor for some pastries from Barb's. As we sit in the car, enjoying our sinfully delicious breakfast, my wife yells and grabs my arm like she does when we're going down the road and she believes we're about to crash (tell me, how does grabbing the driver's arm help to avoid an assumed impending crash? But I digress).

I look through the windshield to where she's pointing and see the front shoulders, flanks, rear quarters and long, curving tail of a mountain lion (or cougar or panther, depending on where you're from) walking slowly through the woods in front of us. She turns to me and gives me the look of "I can't believe you were right!" Okay, maybe it was the look of "Look at that!" but you can interpret it as you will.

We immediately leave the parking lot and drive down the road to the farm market which lies in the direction of the lion's travel. We let them know what we saw and they start looking and someone goes to get someone from the township hall. As we're watching the woods, the woman standing next to us tells us she lost her dog the week prior and her neighbor lost both his cats two days ago.

Later that day, we're at the National Park headquarters talking to a ranger about our boy's Junior Ranger badges and happen to mention the lion. He gets all excited and goes to get a form, then takes down all the information we can give him. He says he's been trying to get an independent sighting to back up his sighting of earlier that month.

When we get back to camp, there's a note from the local newspaper asking us for an interview and maybe a photo. We oblige the reporter and she sends us a copy of the paper the next month after we get home.

All in all, a pretty decent vacation, even if my wife wouldn't let me ride again until we got back home.

Dchiefransom

An article in the MUCC magazine said they are trying to get better proof that some cougars are there. Most accounts are being "explained" away as bobcats, but they have many tracks that are too big to be a bobcat.

ItsJustMe

There have been cougar attacks on runners, and I think cyclists as well, though I don't remember clearly. The cyclists may have stopped when attacked. It was out west somewhere.

Ditch the Halt and carry bear repellant next time around the lake!

Toasted

The scariest part about it is they stalk their prey for days, sometimes weeks, before finally attacking. Something to do with the fun of it, I read.

Eggplant Jeff

Umm, they're mammals... I don't think they can stalk prey for "weeks" they would die of hunger. Unlike alligators which can survive nearly a year on one really good meal.

Roody

A friend was a ranger at Sleeping Bear for many years. He is skeptical of the cougar claim, but doesn't totally deny the possibility.

I believe cougars (where they exist) are the wild animal most likely to attack mountain bikers? I doubt that they pose a risk to road cyclists, but I'm no expert.

Treespeed

There was a story some years ago in the Olympic Mountains where a young mountain biker who was also a high school wrestler fought off a cougar. Apparently, unlike a bear attack you are supposed to fight like hell and not play dead.