On The Hunt With Cougarmagic 11.21.09

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:37 pm

Having been fascinated with the videos by Cougarmagic that i became familiar with through this board, I contacted her when she posted the thread about retrieving a camera near Henninger Flats. Saturday i hiked with Cougarmagic (Joanna) and Dave (last name?) into Eaton Canyon to retrieve the camera she had placed there last month. HikeUp met us in the canyon as Cougarmagic was taking down the camera. Hard to believe but the lush canyon where the camera was, revealed no footage of animals, just a few canyoneers hiking through. We hiked deeper into this particular canyon but eventually hiked out and placed the camera in another canyon of Eaton Canyon.

It was a lovely day nonetheless that provided us sightings of animal tracks and scat plus great conversation of canyoneering and hiking.

my pix are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... ugarmagic#

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:48 pm

Nice pictures Norma. You guys did a lot more exploring after I had to leave. Sorry I missed out on it. I plan on exploring that road at the top of the grassy slope all the way to its end some day soon. (pics - same link as in the other thread).

Terry Morse · Post by **Terry Morse** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:02 pm

Hey, I saw you guys up there on Saturday. We first passed you on the road when you were looking at the paw prints; just before the "trust-hikers". Then, we were sitting at the upper Campground when you walked by.
Then, finally we saw you at Idlehour Trail Camp.
If I knew you were from the forum, I would have introduced myself.
It was a very nice day in the mountains.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:14 pm

Great pics Norma! I love the detail. It was a beautiful day - first one in a while that I've experienced that misty, foggy weather.

The tracks we saw were almost certainly from an adult male - the heel pad is 5.5 cm wide, generally too big for a female. I didn't measure the tracks I saw a month ago, but I know they were much smaller, so I think there's more than one cat sharing this place. Hopefully they can tolerate each other for a while, until the burned areas can support their return.

Terry - would have been nice to meet you! Were you the two guys we said hi to at the upper camp? Funny, we were all talking about it being a small hiking world as we hiked up. Turns out we know a lot of the same people. Not sure who you saw at Idlehour though - we didnt' go there. Is it still nice there (unburned) though?

edenooch · Post by **edenooch** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:42 am

Where are the animals!!??

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:31 am

edenooch, can you believe it? no animal sightings. though HikeUp did see deer that morning.

Terry, would have been nice to meet you. i try to say Hi to all i pass in on the trails. hope you enjoyed your day as much as we did.

edenooch · Post by **edenooch** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:41 am

No i can not! Horrendous

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:16 pm

edenooch wrote:No i can not! Horrendous

hehe. Definately was not as good as if you had gone hiking with Joanna and Norma.

Terry Morse · Post by **Terry Morse** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:38 pm

cougarmagic wrote: Terry - would have been nice to meet you! Were you the two guys we said hi to at the upper camp? Funny, we were all talking about it being a small hiking world as we hiked up. Turns out we know a lot of the same people. Not sure who you saw at Idlehour though - we didnt' go there. Is it still nice there (unburned) though?

Yes, we were sitting at one of the tables watching two deer grazing off in the brush when you walked by.
I wonder who it was we saw at Idlehour then? It was very nice down there with no burned area visible. I was amazed at the incredible fire break leading down into Eaton and then up to Mt. Muir (?). That took a lot of work on very steep slopes. Speaking of burned areas, we took the Upper Sam Merrill trail last week and the whole top of the trail runs through burn. But, there are a lot of stumps sprouting, so recovery is on it's way.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:33 pm

edenooch wrote:No i can not! Horrendous

I've failed you all!!

Other camera trappers will now look at me with pity and scorn...and the squirrels - those squirrels are laughing at me, I just know it.

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:07 pm

Our refunds are in the mail, right?

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:57 pm

OK, the results are in - after two weeks at a marginal spot in Eaton canyon, we have:

camera trappers, a gray fox, a young deer, leaves in the wind, and crazy guy with a bag on a stick!

Post by **HikeUp** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 3:16 pm

cougarmagic wrote:...and crazy guy with a bag on a stick!

Wasn't me I swear!

Ever had any luck over in Bailey Cyn or Little Santa Anita Cyn?

Saw this impressive pile on the Mt. Wilson Trail just below Manzanita Ridge today...

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 3:36 pm

HikeUp wrote:Ever had any luck over in Bailey Cyn or Little Santa Anita Cyn?

Haven't tried either yet - but I've been thinking about Bailey lately. both are great habitat.

Nice bear poop!