I hope it was a really really nice water bottle!

I had one run between the wheels on my early-morning ride Wednesday. Fortunately, it was a clean miss.

Find the manager, walk up to him, and ask loudly, "Where y'all keep the Gas-X?"

Lol... It was a Camelback insulated one, but still not sure it was worth it!

THis may sound lttle bit weird but I can't help that. When i was a kid we'd be riding in the car and suddenly everyone would go "Ughhh skunk!" But I couldn't smell a damn thing. I could smell every thing else though. Many years later I FINALLY can smell skunk. But it isn't particulary strong and the scent reminds me of toffee. So it doesnt bother me when I smell it. But, fart in the car and you DIE!!!!

Back in my college days, I went backpacking with my dog up in the mountains of NC. Fritz froze up at one point, and there was a skunk just ahead of us on the trail. We made a careful detour around it, and didn't get sprayed. Obviously Fritz had some experience with skunks before. That night, two skunks got in a fight over Fritz's dog food, which was in a bowl just outside my tent door. You never heard such awful noises. Again, Fritz stayed calm and we didn't get sprayed, but I didn't sleep well that night. The next morning, a neighboring camper came over to our tent with a plate of left-over pancakes. I thought they were for me, but the guy put them on the ground in front of Fritz, and she at the whole plate. I had granola.

Fritz was also a pretty wise dog. My dog--the one who got us both skunked--never learned. Even after middle-of-the-night visits to the emergency vet to get quills removed from her face she still charged every porcupine she saw. Sigh.

..and weren't you the guy who decapitated a squirrel some time ago... man, those critters are out to get you!!!

Ha - how did I miss this post last week! I nearly spit water out all over my monitor reading this.

CCrew - you had a rough week of riding and you're commute write-ups are getting quite commical, with the "ball-buster" and now skunk attack.

Aside from that, how was the rest of the ride? (grin)

Oh Man! This is one of my big fears on the MUP, that and Porcupines.

I know, there are Porcupines, have had 2 near misses, and I also know there are some skunks around too.

While it's technically possible to run into a bear or cougar, the chances are so remote... I've come across deer and coyotes, they're not a problem. The skunk though... I really dread that.

Has anyone seen a spotted skunk? They're pretty rare, but if you do.. know that they spray by doing a handstand, ( no really! ) and can get you from 30+ feet!

Sorry to hear of your lousy day.

And I've broadsided two deer. I'm still recovering from the shoulder surgery I had in May in regards to that little event. That was NOT fun.

I get on the bike these days in the 3-3:30am range , so I'm catching these critters when they think they have free run of the MUP. Almost got a doe and two fawns this morning. The kamikaze rabbits however are going to get me I can see it coming.

My co-workers are threatening to get animal stickers that I can put on the bike a la a WW1 fighter ace.. 3 rabbits, 2 deer, 1 skunk, lol

3-3:30 range? What time do you need to be at work? How long is your commute?

lol at the animal stickers.

Do it.

Edit: and post pics.

I commute 28 miles each way by bike. 50 miles by car for 78 door to door.. I'm usually in the office by 5:30am, leave the house by 2:30am. Home usually by 7 at the latest.. with some exceptions.

This is the bike portion: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/40997373

How about some deer whistles too?

I saw a skunk last week, and we both got scared but he didn't spray me. He just kind of appeared out of the darkness as I went over a railroad crossing and headed out of my way as I was hoping I hadn't spooked him too badly.

I had some on my Nissan, until they got crushed when I hit a deer.

...

I was once punctured by several quills of a dead porcupine while photographing it. Stay well away from those critters!

Reminds me of an old housemate sitting out on the back deck who reached down to pet the cat. The skunk seemed strangely very happy with all the attention. They must get a charge of watching people scramble out of the way.

Never seen a skunk on the MUP. When we were younger, we would trap them in the corn field as they would eat the corn.

CCrew, my condolences on your skunking! But I am somewhat relieved that you got the treatment from (presumably) the very skunk you ran over; it would have been pretty unfair if the next cyclist down the path had got it. Well, I suppose it's possible the next one got it too....

In NJ it's been quite a year for skunks. They became very common last year, and this year we've seen them many times. Including two tiny little baby ones... very cute.

Just read this and LOL'd. The story sure beats when I ran over a (seemingly unaffected) NYC rat in an after-dark commute.

Edit: clarity