Metolius River

[bikerinNE]

Hi:

I was wondering if anyone has biked the Metolius Wild & Scenic River Trail? If so, any thoughts, issues that were discovered on trail, etc.. I guess most of my concerns have to do with Bears and Cougars. I pedaled upon a cougar walking a jeep trail last year down around Wickiup Res., and it ran away. I hope the cougars in the Camp Sherman Metolius area are just as fearful of people on bikes.

[Alan]

Can't help you on the Metolius trail but I can say that cougars are among the least of my concerns in the back country where I spend time (mostly Washington Cascades). They are very leery of people and, unless you're carrying fresh meat, have no interest in your food. I have seen one, crossing a highway late at night in North Bend, ever. I'd consider myself very lucky to see one like you did, and its reaction is exactly what I'd expect of a cougar. They really are not a problem.

Bears are usually shy, too, but they can get curious and they do like people food (scavengers). In bear country, sleep away from your food, keep your food in separate bags from the rest of your gear and hang them high at night. And, of course, keep your distance from cubs. Bears can run quite fast, especially uphill, but they use that to escape, not to pursue prey. Check with the district ranger for bear reports and try to avoid any camping areas where they have been seen recently.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon

PS - The most destructive animal I've personally encounter while camping is the mouse. They have chewed my boots, my pack, my food, and me (don't try to catch them). They probably carried the giardia I caught c. '79. One caused untold emotional damage to my spouse when it drowned in a pot of water left out overnight. I strongly suspect they would consider Proofide the perfect sauce for their Brooks steak course.

[bikerinNE]

I totally forgot about this:

I tried to bike the Wild and Scenic Metolius River Trail that's on the US Forest Service map a week after i posted the initial question. Well the trail is gone, It doesn't exist. There is a very interesting story on how i found this out. I even tried to bike it, nope not possible. I have pictures to prove it. I also met the people that keep the area wild and scenic. I biked onto their property where they have lived deep in the woods since 1977 when the area was declared a Federally Wild and Scenic National area. They used to keep the trail up.

As for cougars, this is how i got my information on said cougars - I started in Madras and pedaled over to Lake Billy Chinook through Cove Palisades State Park. I camped the first night at a campground called Perry South, on the west end of Lake Billy Chinook. The campground host came over to me as I was camping on a stream. He proceeded to tell me how cougars were spotted a week earlier feeding out of the stream at this very campsite that I was currently camped in. He told me that the mom had two babies (she had three earlier in the year according to the camp host) that she was looking after and didn't back down when approached, that she's protecting her offspring. Not only that, the same pack had just pulled a dog out of the full campground a few days earlier. So... cougars - yeah they are of concern in that area and aren't backing down from people. I didn't see any though, but I'm sure they saw me.

The story of my bike adventure can be found here by the way:

http://www.timmy0278.com/2012/08/bre...ut-living.html

Originally Posted by Alan

Can't help you on the Metolius trail but I can say that cougars are among the least of my concerns in the back country where I spend time (mostly Washington Cascades). They are very leery of people and, unless you're carrying fresh meat, have no interest in your food. I have seen one, crossing a highway late at night in North Bend, ever. I'd consider myself very lucky to see one like you did, and its reaction is exactly what I'd expect of a cougar. They really are not a problem.

Bears are usually shy, too, but they can get curious and they do like people food (scavengers). In bear country, sleep away from your food, keep your food in separate bags from the rest of your gear and hang them high at night. And, of course, keep your distance from cubs. Bears can run quite fast, especially uphill, but they use that to escape, not to pursue prey. Check with the district ranger for bear reports and try to avoid any camping areas where they have been seen recently.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon

PS - The most destructive animal I've personally encounter while camping is the mouse. They have chewed my boots, my pack, my food, and me (don't try to catch them). They probably carried the giardia I caught c. '79. One caused untold emotional damage to my spouse when it drowned in a pot of water left out overnight. I strongly suspect they would consider Proofide the perfect sauce for their Brooks steak course.

[Alan]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a beautiful area and a grand adventure.

[K'Tesh]

The most destructive animal is the F-n squirrel. Had one somehow manage to sneak inside one of my coolers when I was camping once. Damn thing chewed up a lot of food (I was on food stamps at the time), c**pped all over the remainder. Had to toss everything. After that, I never left the cooler without a large rock sitting on top of it.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by K'Tesh

The most destructive animal is the F-n squirrel.

That must be one of those two-part Latin names. Maybe we can just lay the blame on the rodent order as a whole*. Many years ago I went canoeing in Boundary Waters/Quetico parks. After about our third detoured portage due to recent dammings, the responsible party became known as F-n beavers.

*Not really fair, as rodents make up 40% of all mammal species.

[Psyfalcon]

If a squirrel finds its way into your cooler, you might as well eat it. I've heard beaver tastes pretty good but the relevant authorities seem to discourage that in most cases.

Mice and leather saddles probably are not a good combination though. You could always try to cover it with a plastic bag sealed to the seat post, possibly adding moth balls to it.

Bear spray has proven pretty effective against bears, and should work the same for big cats.

[K'Tesh]

Originally Posted by Psyfalcon

If a squirrel finds its way into your cooler, you might as well eat it. I've heard beaver tastes pretty good but the relevant authorities seem to discourage that in most cases.

For all the damage that it did, I would have tried it... problem for me, was that I didn't realize it was in there until it jumped out as I opened the cooler.

[bikerinNE]

Originally Posted by Psyfalcon

Bear spray has proven pretty effective against bears, and should work the same for big cats.

Bear spray... why didn't i think of that? LOL It's in that picture somewhere!