Re: Trail Closure: Due to recent Mountain Lion sightings

East trail along Ahwahnee Meadow towards Ahwahnee dorm and continuing to the tennis courts and the trail from Church Bowl past the stables to Lower Yosemite Falls are closed until further notice.

Isn't this overly cautious? What is the history of cougar attacks in Yosemite Valley?

Vince
http://www.hikeofyourlife.com/images/lowerfalls.JPG

Vince wrote:

> Isn't this overly cautious?

I think it is.

> What is the history of cougar attacks in Yosemite Valley?

I haven't heard of any.

Here's a list of verified attacks since 1890:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion/attacks.html

Good find, eeek! Kind of proves the point, doesn't it...only two of the listed 15 attacks occurred in the Sierra...and only 15 verified attacks since 1890! I have dozens of pictures of bears, deer, marmots, etc. but not one Mountain Lion yet, I hope someday I can nab a photo of one, hopefully not from the inside looking out!

Thanks,
Vince
http://www.hikeofyourlife.com/images/upperfalls-halfdome.JPG

I've only seen one mountain lion in the wild and that was from my car. I'm sure I've been seen by quite a few though

This pretty preposterous. I would hate to count the number of times I've walked in cougar country, and nobody has ever closed any trails. For what it's worth, I've seen only two cougars in the wild, and as far as I can tell neither had dining designs on me.

I can see letting people know about the sighting and giving the usual good-sense warnings, but closure? Phooey.

Must be the work of a city boy (or girl).

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Wilderness forever,
Bruce Jensen

bpnjensen wrote:

> Must be the work of a city boy (or girl).

More likely it's the work of a lawyer.

The rangers know of 3 lions that are active in the Valley. So far they are only showing normal mountain lion behavior.

Isn't the sight of [fresh] mountain lion scat as reliable a sure sign of them in the vicinity as an actual sighting?

I would hardly consider ml scat as scarce, and even on trails.

just wondered ...

I can't see how fresh scan wouldn't be a sure sign