2/24/14 1:56 PM

MTBs and bears don't mix well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/grizzly-bear-charges-mountain-biker-brad-paras_n_4846949.html

Last edited by ErikS on 2/24/14 5:49 PM; edited 1 time in total

2/24/14 2:47 PM

Beautiful there! Let's just stand here so the poo can settle out of our pants before we continue! ;O

I stopped on a trail in North NJ to wait up for a friend and his teen son. Waiting on the trail I heard a rustle behind me, and turned to see a black bear. It was small enough my first thought was if the Mom is around I may be hamburger here in a few... I got back on and rode back the way I came to warn my party. We got back there and gone gone gone...

Another time 'way' more scarey. Up in New Paltz my sis lived on the road up to the mountain house, across and down from the office where they do the $$ harvest for the foundation. She worked there actually.

Anyway it was 1990 or so, we popping shrimps on the BB, but had gone in the house to stick stuff in the kitchen sink. The sink had a huge window looking out at the yard we had the table et al. And the boys still outside so we could keep an eye on easily with the window.. All three adults in clean up carry to the kitchen mode.

A baby black bear appears. I can not tell you the feeling that came over me as we all got out there and grabbed the boys, praying the Momma bear was not also close in. We did not see her and just our sudden presence had the black scurry off when he smelled the stink of fear on us. Kids never knew what had occurred.

2/24/14 4:51 PM

We see black bears all the time in my immediate neighborhood. Sometimes strolling through the park/school adjacent to us. I've run into bears twice on the trails.

IME, they want nothing to do with humans. I just walk/ride away as normal.

2/24/14 5:53 PM

I've seen a black bears while an friend and I were riding our bikes in Blackwater State park in West Virginia several years ago. A cub walked down the adjacent hill side and sat down on the shoulder of the park's main road. At first we thought it was a dog but when we got closer we realized what it really was and stopped to be sure we didn't get between it and it's mother. After a few minutes it wandered off and we continued our ride.

Note: Black Bears and Grizzly Bears share only the name bear, not the temperament or size.

2/24/14 6:32 PM

Well, he didn't get eaten by a mountain lion... (Orange county, LA, 2005)

2/24/14 8:20 PM

This video was a griz and the dude had a gopro on his helmet. His reaction, riding off into the woods looked like a bad choice. I don't know why he did not continue down the trail.

I have come across wild hogs when I used to MTB. not a grizz of course but a cornered hog can put the hurt on you.

2/24/14 8:39 PM

He was probably startled and fell off?

I've riden into close quarter of a couple of wild animals that could put some hurt on me had they so choose (wild boar once, bisons another). My heart was in my throat. Later I was glad I stayed on without falling off from the shock!

2/25/14 9:08 AM

Mountain Lions, too, especially in California.

Here's a trailer to Nat Geo show I watched were a few MTB bikers were either mauled to death or somehow managed to survive.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/dead-or-alive/videos/mountain-lion-tug-of-war/

2/25/14 9:16 AM

I would not have been waiting around to get some good YouTube footage, I would have immediately high tailed it back the way I came.

Which is what I did on a solo ride south of Taos, NM one summer when I almost rode up the rear end of a bear. We agreed to go our separate ways at high speed.

2/25/14 11:56 AM

It looked like the rider first stopped to contemplate an extremely technical section of the trail, one that might require the perfect line and technique.

When he spotted the bear, already charging at frightening speed, fully panicked, he had perhaps no choice but to move in the direction he chose. No time for rational decisions, and a miracle that he stayed upright for as far as he did. He probably thought he was a goner, and would have been if the bear hadn't been bluffing.

Moving directly away from the bear had the desired effect.

2/26/14 6:23 AM

...it it had been a mountain lion or a wolf, as it would have triggered their pursuit reflex. It can be a complicated world out there! I'm glad that the worst I typically have to deal with is aggressive geese during the nesting season.

2/26/14 9:10 AM

In the case of mountain lion attack in southern California, the rider didn't even know what hit (or should I say, bite) him/her! (first one dead, second one survived and recounted on how it happened)

2/27/14 5:26 PM

"Up in New Paltz my sis lived on the road up to the mountain house..."

Can't tell you how many times I've spit up lung on both sides of the Mohonk climb, I've TT'ed it more times than I can count.

Lots of black bears on that mountain. A couple springs ago I was coming home from dinner in New Paltz, just finished descending the Accord side and had to stop to let 3 little bears cross the road. Decided to stay stopped for a little longer than necessary to watch the cute buggers all go up the same tree right beside the road. I presume the rather raucous idle of my Z06 had them somewhat puzzled/scared...then I saw momma coming towards me, I felt very fortunate I wasn't on my bike.

2/27/14 6:15 PM

She worked for the foundation for 6-7 years. I had donated a 10 user Network OS System [Novell 3.12] out of my stash to the foundation. I gened it on a box for her and taught her some of the strings to keep it up. She worked at the gate of the MTN house for 16k a year. I taught her how to fish, she is in IT @ 5x that salary these days.

They gave us some complementary days at the Mountain House and free run of the place with yearly cards for a while. Used to top rope with the kids when they wuz pre-teen. ;) This was circa 90s.

Fun spot to play to be sure...

2/28/14 8:57 AM

It sure is an awesome place...been passing it by for years but finally spent some time there to celebrate Sally's 50th. Now I know how 'the other half' live.

http://www.mohonk.com/?NCK=GoogleSEM-Mohonk-Brand&chebs=GoogleSEM-Mohonk-Brand&utm_source=GoogleSEM&utm_medium=GoogleSEM&utm_campaign=GoogleSEM&s_kwcid=TC|1029141|mohonk%20mountain%20house||S|e|44537766328&gclid=CPD73uuJ77wCFcU-MgodP2sAtQ

2/28/14 5:03 PM

C'mon Sparky, what happened to the shrimp???