Random Thought Thread

Murphjd25 said:
I would like to thank Cap’n Smudge Cap’n Smudge for seriously upping my likes the last day!
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When the Cap'n's away from the keyboard, he lets his friend sit at the desk...


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holy fuck what a morning!

me and the dog are up on the mountain just like every day, and it's nice now because we finally got some rain. I woke up super early even for me, around 4am, so I went back to sleep for a bit and we ended up hitting the trail a little later than usual, say around 7:30. Also, I get mon-wed off so it's my weekend and slacking off a little bit is becoming a habit. Anyhoo, I digress....

We're about 30 minutes into our walk, went 2/3 up the mountain and then cut across a ridgeline before heading back down. It's a fairly open mossy rocky slab with a steep pitch into a draw to my right. There's an ocean spray branch across the trail which was bent over by the rain. Mako's about 20 feet ahead of me, sniffing around like she does, while I'm hacking away at this 1" diameter seasoned piece of ocean spray, when all of a sudden there's a ruckus in the bush up and to our left. An adolescent black bear busts out of the forest into the clearing between Mako and me, peels left and takes off after Mako, who's high tailin' it along the trail. I immediately start sprinting after the bear, my hands raised above my head like some cartoon vampire, roaring like a banshee. It didn't take me long to catch up to the bear, and when I'm about 10' behind it, it looks back at me then peels off to the right down into the draw. I'm thinking to myself, as I watch the bear plunge down through the bush into the draw, what the fuck would I have down if it turned back and come at me? I realize I have my DEK in my hand, at some point having the good sense or intuition to sheath it. I laugh at myself for a second at the absurdity of taking on a 400lb bear with a knife. My laughter is short lived, as I here the bear below, sounding like it's trying to flank us at the bottom of the draw.

Mako's a good girl and she stops when she sees the bear abruptly change directions, and takes all my vocal cues to stay close, as we head the opposite direction on the trail where the bear came from. No sooner did we make our way around the first turn, did we run into the sibling of the first bear. It was probably already on edge, after having heard my roaring, so it high tailed it up the trail we were going to head in order to get away from the first bear. This left us in situation where we had to bushwhack between the trails, constantly listening out for the bear below, whose direction we had to go in in order to get home and also avoid the second bear. Keep in mind there are swamps here and there, further limiting our options. I don't recall a time where I ran so fast right through the forest, across logs and through the undergrowth. I felt like a not nearly so handsome Daniel Day Lewis running through that forest, man I was hoofin it and Mako, too.

Obviously, we made it home. That was the most intense wildlife encounter I can recall having. I looked right in the eye of that bear just before it buggered off, and I hope I never get that close to another bear again. I'm counting my lucky stars that guy didn't catch Mako and do her harm- I would never forgive myself. I did realize the lenghts I would go to in order to protect my dog, (and theoretically any person I value) and that's kind of a good feeling to have that knowledge without having to deal with tragedy also.

But yeah, we got home. And I have a text from my sister that my mom and her husband are at the hospital. He had a seizure and we think she had a panic attack as a result. So far, it seems like she's ok, but we'll see about her guy- he's had a lot of health scares so it's kind of touch and go.

Life is a bear.
 
Here's hoping your mom's husband pulls through. Thoughts are with your family.

Having been through an event in Yosemite in 1975 where a bear stepped on my shoulder when it came to check our camp, I can relate. I thought about pulling the knife with me, which was this...

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...thankfully, even at 23 I had the sense to realize it was a losing proposition. Fortunately, only my pack and a water bottle took damage...and I came away with an experience. (I've had many bear encounters, but none where they touched me and breathed that foul smell in my face.)
 
Lorien said:
holy fuck what a morning!

me and the dog are up on the mountain just like every day, and it's nice now because we finally got some rain. I woke up super early even for me, around 4am, so I went back to sleep for a bit and we ended up hitting the trail a little later than usual, say around 7:30. Also, I get mon-wed off so it's my weekend and slacking off a little bit is becoming a habit. Anyhoo, I digress....

We're about 30 minutes into our walk, went 2/3 up the mountain and then cut across a ridgeline before heading back down. It's a fairly open mossy rocky slab with a steep pitch into a draw to my right. There's an ocean spray branch across the trail which was bent over by the rain. Mako's about 20 feet ahead of me, sniffing around like she does, while I'm hacking away at this 1" diameter seasoned piece of ocean spray, when all of a sudden there's a ruckus in the bush up and to our left. An adolescent black bear busts out of the forest into the clearing between Mako and me, peels left and takes off after Mako, who's high tailin' it along the trail. I immediately start sprinting after the bear, my hands raised above my head like some cartoon vampire, roaring like a banshee. It didn't take me long to catch up to the bear, and when I'm about 10' behind it, it looks back at me then peels off to the right down into the draw. I'm thinking to myself, as I watch the bear plunge down through the bush into the draw, what the fuck would I have down if it turned back and come at me? I realize I have my DEK in my hand, at some point having the good sense or intuition to sheath it. I laugh at myself for a second at the absurdity of taking on a 400lb bear with a knife. My laughter is short lived, as I here the bear below, sounding like it's trying to flank us at the bottom of the draw.

Mako's a good girl and she stops when she sees the bear abruptly change directions, and takes all my vocal cues to stay close, as we head the opposite direction on the trail where the bear came from. No sooner did we make our way around the first turn, did we run into the sibling of the first bear. It was probably already on edge, after having heard my roaring, so it high tailed it up the trail we were going to head in order to get away from the first bear. This left us in situation where we had to bushwhack between the trails, constantly listening out for the bear below, whose direction we had to go in in order to get home and also avoid the second bear. Keep in mind there are swamps here and there, further limiting our options. I don't recall a time where I ran so fast right through the forest, across logs and through the undergrowth. I felt like a not nearly so handsome Daniel Day Lewis running through that forest, man I was hoofin it and Mako, too.

Obviously, we made it home. That was the most intense wildlife encounter I can recall having. I looked right in the eye of that bear just before it buggered off, and I hope I never get that close to another bear again. I'm counting my lucky stars that guy didn't catch Mako and do her harm- I would never forgive myself. I did realize the lenghts I would go to in order to protect my dog, (and theoretically any person I value) and that's kind of a good feeling to have that knowledge without having to deal with tragedy also.

But yeah, we got home. And I have a text from my sister that my mom and her husband are at the hospital. He had a seizure and we think she had a panic attack as a result. So far, it seems like she's ok, but we'll see about her guy- he's had a lot of health scares so it's kind of touch and go.

Life is a bear.
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That's crazy glad both of you are okay!!!!!!

Sending positive energy for your fam
 
Lorien said:
holy fuck what a morning!

me and the dog are up on the mountain just like every day, and it's nice now because we finally got some rain. I woke up super early even for me, around 4am, so I went back to sleep for a bit and we ended up hitting the trail a little later than usual, say around 7:30. Also, I get mon-wed off so it's my weekend and slacking off a little bit is becoming a habit. Anyhoo, I digress....

We're about 30 minutes into our walk, went 2/3 up the mountain and then cut across a ridgeline before heading back down. It's a fairly open mossy rocky slab with a steep pitch into a draw to my right. There's an ocean spray branch across the trail which was bent over by the rain. Mako's about 20 feet ahead of me, sniffing around like she does, while I'm hacking away at this 1" diameter seasoned piece of ocean spray, when all of a sudden there's a ruckus in the bush up and to our left. An adolescent black bear busts out of the forest into the clearing between Mako and me, peels left and takes off after Mako, who's high tailin' it along the trail. I immediately start sprinting after the bear, my hands raised above my head like some cartoon vampire, roaring like a banshee. It didn't take me long to catch up to the bear, and when I'm about 10' behind it, it looks back at me then peels off to the right down into the draw. I'm thinking to myself, as I watch the bear plunge down through the bush into the draw, what the fuck would I have down if it turned back and come at me? I realize I have my DEK in my hand, at some point having the good sense or intuition to sheath it. I laugh at myself for a second at the absurdity of taking on a 400lb bear with a knife. My laughter is short lived, as I here the bear below, sounding like it's trying to flank us at the bottom of the draw.

Mako's a good girl and she stops when she sees the bear abruptly change directions, and takes all my vocal cues to stay close, as we head the opposite direction on the trail where the bear came from. No sooner did we make our way around the first turn, did we run into the sibling of the first bear. It was probably already on edge, after having heard my roaring, so it high tailed it up the trail we were going to head in order to get away from the first bear. This left us in situation where we had to bushwhack between the trails, constantly listening out for the bear below, whose direction we had to go in in order to get home and also avoid the second bear. Keep in mind there are swamps here and there, further limiting our options. I don't recall a time where I ran so fast right through the forest, across logs and through the undergrowth. I felt like a not nearly so handsome Daniel Day Lewis running through that forest, man I was hoofin it and Mako, too.

Obviously, we made it home. That was the most intense wildlife encounter I can recall having. I looked right in the eye of that bear just before it buggered off, and I hope I never get that close to another bear again. I'm counting my lucky stars that guy didn't catch Mako and do her harm- I would never forgive myself. I did realize the lenghts I would go to in order to protect my dog, (and theoretically any person I value) and that's kind of a good feeling to have that knowledge without having to deal with tragedy also.

But yeah, we got home. And I have a text from my sister that my mom and her husband are at the hospital. He had a seizure and we think she had a panic attack as a result. So far, it seems like she's ok, but we'll see about her guy- he's had a lot of health scares so it's kind of touch and go.

Life is a bear.
Click to expand...
Thoughts and prayers for your family, Lorien.

Yeah, that’s one of the nice things about the US; if I’m going traipsing in places where the wildlife might eat me, I’m bringing something that makes a way louder noise than my voice is capable of (and also has the potential to deter said wildlife in other ways).

Maybe bear/pepper spray? I keep pepper spray on me when biking/running, not for bears, but aggressive dogs.
 
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