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kittyrock13
03-03-2006, 03:29
Im thinking about starting a thru-hike this spring. I have never been to the east coast and so i am unfamilliar with the wildlife. Do you guys have mountain lions over there? Does anyone have any information about menstrating women attracting wild animals? Also, if i am going south to north, is it reasonable to leave mid may? I was hoping to attach a coast to coast road trip along with this...

ZZXF
03-03-2006, 12:21
Leaving in mid-May is possible if you're a quick hiker or willing to flip flop. Generally speaking, you can't climb Katahdin after October 15th and it may close before then depending on the conditions. Many people thru-hike in 5 months or less, but many others take 6 or more. If you find yourself running short on time, you can flip up to Katahdin and hike south to where you left off.

There is no good evidence that animals are more prone to attack menstruating women. No women have been attacked ever by a bear on the AT, and there have been very few serious encounters between people and bears other than bears stealing food. The AT is generally a pretty safe place :).

Gray Blazer
03-03-2006, 13:10
It is funny you asked about menstruating women being attacked by bears. Several years ago I was camping with my 1st wife. We always made sure we never ate in our tent, no candy in our pockets, no gum, no nothing. Well to make a short story longer, in the middle of the night I had to fight off a bear who was trying to get in our tent and was on top of me. He did leave and our tent still has the patch over the rip he made. It happened to be her time of the month (my wife's, not the bear) and that is the reason we came up with as to why we were attacked. I'm not trying to scare you, but that's the truth.

Blue Jay
03-03-2006, 13:27
It is funny you asked about menstruating women being attacked by bears. Several years ago I was camping with my 1st wife. We always made sure we never ate in our tent, no candy in our pockets, no gum, no nothing. Well to make a short story longer, in the middle of the night I had to fight off a bear who was trying to get in our tent and was on top of me. He did leave and our tent still has the patch over the rip he made. It happened to be her time of the month (my wife's, not the bear) and that is the reason we came up with as to why we were attacked. I'm not trying to scare you, but that's the truth.

So little old you, fought off a bear, very impressive. Were you menstruating or just exaggerating?

lbbrown
03-03-2006, 13:33
It is funny you asked about menstruating women being attacked by bears. Several years ago I was camping with my 1st wife. We always made sure we never ate in our tent, no candy in our pockets, no gum, no nothing. Well to make a short story longer, in the middle of the night I had to fight off a bear who was trying to get in our tent and was on top of me. He did leave and our tent still has the patch over the rip he made. It happened to be her time of the month (my wife's, not the bear) and that is the reason we came up with as to why we were attacked. I'm not trying to scare you, but that's the truth.
You were camping with your "1st wife"? Does that mean she didn't survive?(LOL)

Gray Blazer
03-03-2006, 13:40
I'm divorced from my 1st wife. I now have a trophy wife. I promise you that was a true story. I was asleep when the bear tried to come in. My snoring probably sounded like another bear, but, I'm just conjecturing there. He did end up on top of me, he was still mostly outside the tent and leaning on the side. I did hit him pretty hard and made a lot of noise and, lucky for us, he took off.

bearbait2k4
03-06-2006, 01:23
I went through the latter part of the Shenandoahs on my period, and the only days I DIDN'T see a bear were those days I was menstruating.

In fact, throughout the entire trail, the only days I saw bears, or had bears come into / near my campsite were days that I was not on my period.

You generally will not have a big problem with bears, unless you are really careless with your food.

Ranger Danger
03-14-2006, 21:26
i saw only 3 bear while hiking, and they were much more afraid of us hikers than we were of them--as long as you hang your food in the well traveled areas you should be fine from most wildlife.
leaving in mid-May will be a lonely hike. most people leave from mid-March to April 1. It's just hard to complete the hike by the time Katahdin closes in Oct if you leave much later than April.
but if that's the only time you have availible, then go for it!


Im thinking about starting a thru-hike this spring. I have never been to the east coast and so i am unfamilliar with the wildlife. Do you guys have mountain lions over there? Does anyone have any information about menstrating women attracting wild animals? Also, if i am going south to north, is it reasonable to leave mid may? I was hoping to attach a coast to coast road trip along with this...

nyushka42
03-26-2006, 21:14
I'm leaving in May as well, since I need to earn the $$ and want to spend my birthday, which is in late April, with my family. However, I plan to walk fast (I already on average walk 4-9 miles a day to prepare, so that I won't have to push myself too much to get up to 15 m/d) with few off days and little fuss.
However, due to my family (rather inconsiderately, to my way of thinking :-P) have planned several weddings this summer, I'm going to have to go off trail in late July. If I have enough $$ left over, I'll flip flop from Maine back towards Harpers Ferry in late August.

Granola Mamma
06-17-2006, 19:14
Ok, dumb, fascious question here:

If my husband ain't interested in coming near me during "that time" what makes us think that a male critter of ANY KIND would be interested?

Just food for thought.

Granola Mamma
06-17-2006, 19:16
oops, spelling again: facetious (like, tongue-in-cheek) :p

Vi+
06-18-2006, 11:45
Kittyrock13,

You ask (Post #1), “Do you guys have mountain lions over there?”

About a dozen years ago, I saw what I thought were mountain lion tracks in snow crossing the AT in an area heavily populated by white tail deer. The tracks passed in front of a shelter about a half mile off the AT. A few years later, a park ranger advised that while driving on her way to work, she saw a mountain lion walking up the middle of the road. The mountain lion turned off the road near an access trail leading to the same shelter. The US Park Service doesn't confirm the presence of new animals until there is photographic confirmation. I have seen photographs of reported mountain lions - the best of which was, fairly clearly, a beaver crossing a road - none of which were mountain lions.

Farmers off the AT have complained of mountain lions attacking livestock but, in the east, we humans are not bothered by mountain lion.

You further ask, “Does anyone have any information about menstrating women attracting wild animals?”

Kittyrock13 advised (Post #2), “There is no good evidence that animals are more prone to attack menstruating women.”

That’s the same I’ve read and heard.

She further advised, “No women have been attacked ever by a bear on the AT ...”

Actually, a few years ago, a woman was killed by a black bear sow, with her cub, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I don’t recall menstruation being a factor.

The idea that sows are more likely to harm humans when their cubs are with them has about the same mythical quality as attacks on menstruating women. The death in the GSMNP is at the same time the first record I'm aware of where a bear killed a woman on the AT and the first killing anywhere of a human by a sow accompanied by her cub.

Sows I’ve met with their cubs have always left with their cubs trailing behind. I don’t bother or hinder bears. Cubs have occasionally dawdled and approached to investigate me but the sow has always called them away without her coming any closer.

Vi+
06-18-2006, 11:55
Granola Mamma,

You ask (Post #10), “If my husband ain't interested in coming near me during ‘that time’ what makes us think that a male critter of ANY KIND would be interested?”

You provide your husband’s rule. Critter he may be, but Your husband is only ONE male critter. Your question, however, is about ALL male critters.

Lone Wolf
06-18-2006, 11:57
I had a cut on my lower leg once I was standing in a creek and got attacked by minnows. Musta been related to sharks.

Vi+
06-18-2006, 12:20
Gray Blazer,

Your story (Post #3) reminds me of a funny story a friend told me, well he and I think it’s funny, about him, his wife, and a bear.

He and his wife had married recently. They were camped, alone and naked, and were having the most intimate of moments in their tent. The tent began to shake. At first he was thrilled by his wife’s enthusiasm but, upon further observation, it didn’t quite make sense. He looked behind him and saw a bear’s head already inside their tent and entering.

They were in the supine position, male dominant. (At this point in his story, he’s a little embarrassed by his cowardice.) He took off as if leaving from starting blocks and ran through the opposite end of the tent. He was running as quickly as he could when it occurred to him he’d left his wife. He turned, still in full stride, to look back. His wife passed him.

The anti-climax (heh, heh, heh) is, the bear remained in the tent until it had eaten all their food.

The moral (yes, this is most certainly a moral tale): Hang your food when you're camping in bear country.