@Jolanta

Bear encounter

Rounding a corner on a hillside in Olympic National Park, I surprised a black bear eating berries. He stood up. We both froze, looking at each other. Then we turned tail and ran in opposite directions.

Why do animals always run in the direction I want to go?

At age 24, I backpacked to Flapjack Lakes with two guys in Olympic National Park. When we arrived, the lake was crowded. We quickly put up the tent and shoved our heavy packs into it. I loaded a rucksack with food, jacket, frisbee and grabbed my dad's old Super 8 movie camera. Up we climbed on the slopes of Mt. Gladys. Heavy snow that year.

I ran ahead on the snow crust while the guys broke through.

Where's my ice axe when I need it?

A white wall of snow loomed ahead. "I wonder what I can see from the top," I thought. I ran up that wall, kicking steps in the ice as I went. A taller white wall loomed. Up again. Halfway up the third white wall, I heard "Kathleen! STOP!"

Turning, I couldn't get down. It was too steep and I had no brake (ice axe). I sat down on the frisbee I was holding in my hand. Hollered "Catch me!" and pushed off. Steering with my boots, I shot down three steep, icy hills. If the guys hadn't tackled me, I would have shot down the river into the Hood Canal.

"You could have been killed!" the guys yelled. I ran ahead to get away from their complaining.

Stalked by two cougars

Suddenly my attention was caught by a giant, tawny cat. It leaped 15 feet atop a boulder. It was a cougar. He was magnificent: a few hundred pounds of solid muscle, his tawny coat gleaming in the sun. The cougar was less than a quarter mile below me in a small meadow. I began filming.

The cougar jumped down, walked across the snow, stopped in the shadow of the river, and I couldn't see it. It walked toward me, froze in a patch of yellow flowers, and I couldn't see it. By then, the guys had arrived at my side. The cougar was heading up the hill toward us. We yelled and threw down rocks. It didn't stop. Suddenly it was joined by another cougar on the side. The two cats relentlessly headed uphill toward us.

"Put the camera away! We're leaving." We hurried down to the lake, staying close with me in the middle. Giant boulders overhead. A big cat could have easily jumped down on us.

We hurried down to Flapjack Lake. People. Safety in numbers. But was Sunday evening and everyone had gone home. Nobody went outside to pee that night.

The next day, we excitedly told the ranger at Staircase Ranger Station. He was amazed. Over 14 years, he had never seen a cougar although he saw their footprints. "Cougar follow the deer that were driven down by heavy snow this year," he said.

@LiterateHiker Wow, and you still insist on hiking. Why can't you just buy the video?

@Jolanta

Hiking is a transcendent, uplifting experience to me.

"Japanese researchers found that people who spend 40 minutes walking in a cedar forest, had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is involved in blood pressure and immune-system function, compared when they spent 40 minutes walking in a lab.

Another researcher, Dr. Quing Li, a professor at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, found that trees and plants emit aromatic compounds called phytoncides that, when inhaled, can spur healthy biological changes. Li has shown that when people walk through or stay overnight in forests, they often exhibit changes in the blood that are associated with protection against cancer, better immunity and lower blood pressure.

Recent studies have also linked nature to symptom relief for health issues like heart disease, depression, cancer, anxiety and attention disorders."

From "The Healing Power of Nature," Time magazine, July 25, 2016.

@LiterateHiker I wonder if the same applies to lots and lots of indoor plants?

@Jolanta

Although indoor plants add oxygen to the air, they don't have the healing properties of walking through forests.

Trees and plants emit aromatic compounds called phytoncides that, when inhaled, can spur healthy biological changes. Li has shown that when people walk through or stay overnight in forests, they often exhibit changes in the blood that are associated with protection against cancer, better immunity and lower blood pressure.

In Japan and Canada, doctors prescribe "Forest Bathing"- walking through forests- for patients with cancer, heart disease, depression, insomnia, sleep problems, anxiety, stress, attention difficulty, and other conditions.

Japanese doctors consider "Forest Bathing" preventative medicine.

@LiterateHiker After the 2003 fires here in Canberra, the government established an arboretum. It is just lovely. All kinds of trees from all over the world. I so enjoy going there. Just when I drive close to it makes my heart feel happy.

@jackjr

Descending hiking trails, I routinely pick up litter but refuse to touch plastic bags of dog poop broiling in the sun. (I eat with my hands.) What do these selfish dog owners think? A Poop Fairy will magically swoop down and clean up after them?

Butt wipes are another problem. People bury them. Animals dig up butt wipes and they blow around in the wind. I refuse to touch them. There's nothing like hiking to a high alpine meadow to find it littered with poopy butt wipes. Disgusting and appalling.

I pack out my human waste and used toilet paper. It's not hard.

@LiterateHiker A German study found owning a gun does change some people's thinking about guns. It seems this is also true for people with dogs. The bigger the dog the more the mind change.

I dislike the owners of those dogs who do not train them.

@Pralina1

I grew up on a lake with two Labrador retrievers. Lady (95 lbs.) won the Michigan State Dog Obedience Championship twice. Trained by my mother.

Photo shows Lady with me and my siblings. I'm third from the left.

Lady was smart, sweet and gentle. Never heard her growl. Not a barker. Mom let Lady outside with a sign around her neck, "Please don't feed me." Neighbors loved Lady.

Now I live in a place where pets are not allowed. I don't want the responsibility. No barking dogs, yowling cats or animal poop. Perfect.

@LiterateHiker cute pic !
Did u had any cats or dogs b4 u moved in this place and after u moved out from parents ??

@Pralina1

I loathe cats and am allergic to their dander.

I love a clean, organized home. Don't want pet hair or dirt dragged in. My home has been shoes-off for decades.

@LiterateHiker a clean home is nice

@Betty

Thank you.

Awe...it's a friendly giant kitty cat.

@Switchcraft

What does ESA stand for? Emotional support animals?

@LiterateHiker Yes.

Hitler was a vegetarian and some dog owners do feed their dogs vegetarian food. Unfortunately, cats need a certain item that can only be found in meat. I once met an owner of a large German Shepherd who only fed his pet vegetarian food. We asked if he was also vegetarian but he said not but only wanted the best for his dog. Seemed strange.

When we came back to AZ from the NW I worked for a company that made animal tracking collars. When Wild Kingdom darted some animal so they could strap a radio around its neck, we probably made the radio.

We dealt with a lot of bear researchers and they all had two things in common -- they all wore bells so the animals could hear them coming and they all carried shotguns. The guns weren't to shoot at the bears but rather the guns were the loudest, most violent noise makers they knew.

Wild animals are almost always inoffensive as long as you don't surprise them. It's the animals that have learned to have expectations of people that are dangerous.

On a related note... I heard a story once about a group trying to relocate a problem bear up near Wyoming or Montana or somewhere. They trapped the bear and took it out to release and a local TV news crew decided to come along to film.
The clown reporter thought it would make a good image if he stood on the culvert trap and released the bear himself so he asked permission.
But he didn't realize that bears most always do the same thing when released -- they turn around and belt the trap with their paw. It knocked the reporter off onto the ground right in front of the bear.
They ended up having to put the bear down to protect the newscaster on live TV.

It's when people get involved and don't think things all the way through that problems arise. Animals often don't understand the consequences of their actions and put themselves and others at risk. It's up to their owners to keep them under control for everyone's safety.