RR: Scary Animals!

Coons can be very nasty if cornered or startled. Good thing you weren't
heading his way.

On the topic of scary animals....

A couple of years back my wife and I did a camping/hiking/biking tour down
to the 4-corners region. After hiking in the Grand Canyon area, we drove
south to the Kaibab National Forest and rode a few sections of the Arizona
Trail. We rode a loop out of one trailhead near Marble Canyon and were on
our way back to the car when there was a big ruckus off to one side of the
trail. We saw big bushes moving and heard lots of noises. I figured we had
startled some deer or elk who were bedded down.

When we arrived back at the trailhead a few minutes later, there was a ride
tour escort truck parked there. We chatted with the excited driver, who was
supposed to be preparing lunch for a group that was headed that way. He
said that 10 minutes before we arrived, a big mountain lion had appeared in
the clearing beside the trailhead. It checked him over pretty carefully
from about 100 feet away, and he jumped into the cab and hit the horn a few
times. The lion sauntered down the trail we had just exited from,
apparently not too upset by the sound of the horn. He wondered if we had
seen the critter on our ride.

I still like to think the big noise was a startled deer - a big cat probably
would have been more stealthy. But I can't imagine we got past the lion
without being carefully looked at and evaluated as a possible meal.

Gary

"Bill Wheeler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sunday morning here in Maryland was an excellent time for a ride.

I looked to my left where the noise came from and I saw perhaps the
biggest fscking raccoon in history. It was about 10 to 15 feet off
trail. HOLY [censored] was this thing huge! I'm don't know if these things
can puff themselves up or what. Picture a large dog, say a German
Shepherd 70 to 80 pounds easily sitting on his haunches. That's what
this sonofabitch looked like!

"Bill Wheeler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sunday morning here in Maryland was an excellent time for a ride.

Wheels down at 7:00 am. The temp was about between 30 and 35 in the
park. As you got closer to the running water you could feel the air
temps drop. I love that feeling.

I was riding what a group of 4 and around 7:30 we hit our first climb.
Two of us were out front me and another rider on a FS rig I think it
was what JD calls a Sad-a-Cruz Super Light or something. We were
hammering hard and all of the sudden I hear this bark/growl I thought
we had spooked someone's big dog or something. The bark/growl scared
the livin' sh!t out of me.

I looked to my left where the noise came from and I saw perhaps the
biggest fscking raccoon in history. It was about 10 to 15 feet off
trail. HOLY [censored] was this thing huge! I'm don't know if these things
can puff themselves up or what. Picture a large dog, say a German
Shepherd 70 to 80 pounds easily sitting on his haunches. That's what
this sonofabitch looked like!

"BIG ASS COON LEFT!" I yelled to the riders behind. Not that I could
hammer any harder at the time I saw this beast but I sure tried.
From what I understand raccoons are generally nocturnal so I
immediately thought this guy could have some sleep deprivation
problems and perhaps rabies. I wasn't stickin' around to find out.

It didn't give chase thank god! That definitely warmed us up and the
pins and needles finally left my hands.

We rode on for another 2 and 1/2 hours and I had perhaps one of my
best rides of the year so far.

The SS is holding up fine other than the BB, which I just ordered
another one yesterday evening. I'm going to stick in a Truvativ Giga
Pipe Team DH. I figure that will be beefy enough and last a little
longer without play developing in the left bearings.

I think I may make the mods and go tubeless this winter. Anybody use
Stans? or have any recommendations on tubeless conversions?

Peace,
Bill

The First law, Inertia: Unless acted upon by an outside force,
a body at rest tends to stay at rest,
and a body in motion tends to stay in motion.
Sir Isaac Newton

Nice. Well, not really, but quite exciting. the unexpected keeps life
interesting, and great story.

CDB

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"Bill Wheeler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sunday morning here in Maryland was an excellent time for a ride.

Amen Bill. I went into the Patapsco State Park up by Sykesville Sunday
morning
and got in about 12 miles.

Very nice morning. No raccoons though.

Marty

nice,

JD