RoninLB:

That cougar must have been pretty desperate. I would imagine that made for an intense and adrenaline filled hike back to safety!

The one thing I will really NEVER do again is run trails like I used to for exercise. Although it is really fun and gives me a lot of the mental sensation that snow skiing and motorcycle trail riding does, I believe it exponentially increases the chances of one surprising a bear, mountain lion, rattlesnake ( I can vouch for that first hand) or even a deer. If one is walking, the animals have a chance to move along before a confrontation takes place.

Mike

Coming up for about four years ago now; Went to work, normal day, nothing exciting happening. Had to get some race car part shipped to California, so I climbed ladder (the part was on a mezzanine shelf area) and woke up about three weeks later. I fell off the lader, broke collar bone, cracked nine ribs and vertebrae, had two blood clots on my brain and damaged my lungs (was on a ventilator and sedated for a couple of weeks and in ICU for about twenty days). Spent a couple of months recovering and was off work for a total of five months.
Now I'm totally normal again (there is no discussion over that, thank you).

Threw my Ducati Darmah up the road about twelve years ago, broke right leg, dislocated ankle and spent week in hostpital. Bike recovered quicker than I did.