JMT and Lions

[Catamount]

I am a big fan of lions and I was wondering if anybody has seen them in Yosemite or on the JMT? I have never seen one in the wild.

[bill-e-g]

NO... really? A big fan of lions?

I would have never guessed...

I have never seen a Mountain Lion in Yosemite or anywhere along the
JMT or in SEKI. Have only seen footy prints of mountain lions.
Have only seen Bobcats and I can only recall maybe two times total
in a bazillions times in the backcountry.
Only ever seen a Mountain Lion in the wild in Henry Coe SP. At that
was at some distance on a ridge say 1/4 mile away.

SO... if you do see one you can count your lucky stars.

Rufus

[Wickett]

Same here, I have only seen mountain lion foot prints.

[dan]

I've never seen a mountain lion in Yosemite, JMT, or anywhere in the wild.

I've seen black bear, big horn sheep, and Thompson's Snowshoe Hare (they are big monsters), but no lion.

I know people who have seen a mountain lion, but not in the Sierra Nevada (in the Laguna Mountains in San Diego County).

[Heybooboo]

I had a mountain lion leap across the road in front of me as I was driving out of the park between Chinquapin and Bishop Creek on Hwy 41 south. It was dusk and the kids were asleep in back seat, wife caught sight of it as it disappeared into the forest. Came out of nowhere from right to left two bounds and it crossed both lanes of road, no other cars around. Scared the s*** out of me. F***in' awesome!

[_Gabe_]

Has there been any reported incidents in recent years? I can imagine its an awesome experience but I would be freaked out too.

Dan you mentioned you dont know of any sightings in the Sierra Nevada?

[oakroscoe]

A good friend of mine's grandson saw one while they were car camping, but that was a rare occasion. I've never been fortunate enough to see one in the backcountry. If you do see one, consider yourself very lucky. The closest I've come to seeing one is just tracks.

[oakroscoe]

A good friend of mine's grandson saw one while they were car camping, but that was a rare occasion. I've never been fortunate enough to see one in the backcountry. If you do see one, consider yourself very lucky. The closest I've come to seeing one is just tracks.

[dan]

Dan you mentioned you dont know of any sightings in the Sierra Nevada?

Oh, there's sightings. It's just that *I* haven't seen them. I wouldn't want to either, at least alone.

You can google for sightings, I guess, at http://news.google.com/

[_Gabe_]

How about rattle snakes....I have heard and read of people running into rattlers as far or pretty close to Nevada falls on the JMT switchback trails. I guess after a certain altitude snakes wont go into.

Any truth to this?

[bill-e-g]

Gabe, I posted this on another forum.
Don't worry about snakes!

Cut and pasted post from another forum:

I've seen rattlesnakes in:
Pate Valley
Rancheria Campground Area
Trail up to Tiltill Valley
Racheria Mountain
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
Switchbacks up to Beehive out of HH
Between Wapama and Tiltill Creek
On the 75 switchbacks up out of Pate towards Table/Rodgers
Other way up to White Wolf near Morrison Creek
Little Yose Valley
After Moraine Dome
and...
Near Baseline Camp (just below Cottonwood Meadows)
SOOOO...
they are everywhere!
run...
run away...
(I'm taking a picture of it)