Is this correct?

[hermannr]

I really don't like the fact that they think the people carrying in the parks are more dangerous.The bad guys have always carried in the park anyway,no?

gnarl,I would print out any laws you can find to show the misinformed rangers if they do happen to see the gun and ask about it.Might just make for a more pleasant trip.

And have a great hike

WA F&W has a nice printed booklet that has the text of 9.41 and other laws that apply to carry of any firearms. You might check with F&W to see if you can get on (or your Sheriff). I can't find mine, or I would give you the number. I think this is the .pdf version: http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00511/wdfw00511.pdf

 

[gnarl]

Got it, thank you.

 

[Siglvr]

...I'd prefer not to be chow just yet.

You'd be better off with a knife at the ready that you can grab and fire one handed than a gun IMO. Cougar, if it bothers you at all, will come up behind you or come off the uphill side and try and blindside you. Confrontations are rare, frontal confrontations are very very rare. If your spidey sense starts tingling, listen to it. Stop and wait. Drop your pack and brace yourself, looking everywhere. Situational awareness, and listening to your inner voices is everything.

...says the guy who got stalked, had the spidey sense go off, braced and prepped....didn't see or hear anything. Hair up on the neck, had dropped the back, grabbed the blade and was full on dead stopped, cautiously looking around everywhere, including behind me....silence in the woods. Finally, pack on, 10 steps, stop, look all directions. repeat. Not a thing, but the scary feeling didn't go away for some time, maybe a 1/2 mile it was easing up. I'm out in the woods all the time and have only had this occur 2 times. The first time was a bear at 2am. I woke up to go pee. No moon, pitch dark. I could sense something, an animal, out in the darkness - but not see or hear it. Something was there, my inner voice was suggesting. Stood still for @ at least a half hour, not moving a muscle. Hair was up then too the whole time. Finally got tired and went back to bed. Next am, a widening circle turned up fresh bear scat 20 feet away.

2nd time, the tracks in the snow coming out indicated a cougar has been following...unseen and unheard, but not unnoticed by the subconscious. Usually all I've ever seen, if anything, is some tracks, some scat, or a very brief glimpse as they are running away. Last one I saw had a tail so big it had to be seen to be believed, and it was hauling A** to get away. So I stopped and tracked it for a bit as it was trying to slink off, I was catching glimpses of it as it tried to use the available cover to hide as it retreated, and it was interesting to watch the strategies it utilized. I was with another person at the time, while when I was stalked I was alone.

I started hiking with the Jack Russells after that when possible, those things have amazing noses, and I figure I'd rather a dog get hit and carted off than me You're more likely to be bothered by humans. I don't carry in the woods as I'm already carrying too much weight and other crap. Heres a pic of that area later, I had to hike in to pick up some gear I'd sat down on the trail and just plum forgot about. This gear, got tired, walked off and forgot it. I hike in and rockclimb solo at this cliff cause no one knows about it and it's nice to feel that challenge on occasion.



Came back with 2 Jack Russells. I'd walked off without my shoes and all kind of stuff Moments after this shot, that damn Hank ducked into the rocks after a rodent and all but got stuck deep in the rock. I think he hears it in the pic. I was whistling and yelling, finally gave up, I could hear him in there howling to get out after @20 min or so. He finally figured out how to get out on his own, thankfully. It sounded like he'd weaseled @ 15-20 feet into those spaces in the blocks.





Have fun and have a nice hike, I'd be next to worthless on answering the main question you had about legal issues, as was the government person you spoke to as well it sounds like.

 

[gnarl]

Park bicyclist conquers cat

 

[hermannr]

Comment to the big cat problem...In Bengal (Bangledesh and part of India....They have big tigers there) the wood cutters are always in danger of attach by the tigers. These woodcutters have a interesting method taken from nature...(caterpillers) They carve a mask that looks like a human face, eyes and all. and then wear it on the back of their head.

Cats are ambush hunters, they do not like you looking at them so you can prepare a defence...the backward facing face confuses them because they cannot tell if you can see them or not.

 

[gnarl]

Interesting idea...I'm already seeing Halloween masks in the local stores.
They don't weigh much.
Michael Meyers perhaps?
Naw...seen the Saw guy in stores...got the eyes.
Serious here; a few bucks could amuse other hikers, make conversation, and maybe prevent cat problems.
win/win situation?

 

[gnarl]

You'd be better off with a knife at the ready that you can grab and fire one handed than a gun IMO. Cougar, if it bothers you at all, will come up behind you or come off the uphill side and try and blindside you. Confrontations are rare, frontal confrontations are very very rare. If your spidey sense starts tingling, listen to it. Stop and wait. Drop your pack and brace yourself, looking everywhere. Situational awareness, and listening to your inner voices is everything.

I agree about the blindsiding, from all accounts I've read that seems to be the case. I'm not sure about the knife over gun, I can fire the .45 fine with one hand, and am quite accurate @ PBR I've had no practice firing a knife, however.

Dropping the pack?
Though it seems like this action would increase mobility, the buffer between my back/neck and claws/teeth might also serve a purpose.

Nice set of Friends in your first pic!

 

[Siglvr]

Nice set of Friends in your first pic!

Thanks! I never could afford that kind of stuff till the kids grew up and moved out. Now I've been getting up some wide stuff, which I use to fear and hate, regularly.

This was the one in the first post, 2008, FA "Bride of Wide" 5.10a:


Last month I got to stuff a couple more Valley Giants on another couple of FA up at Rock Creek area, here's the easier one. The 12" valley giant is stuffed in at my left knee, the little cam in the seam is a poor placement of a grey Zero that only rates to 6kn:


As I understand it, although most cats will high tail it, on those rare occasions where they don't flee (it almost always seems to be someone out running or biking and oblivious to their surroundings and the cats instinct to pounce kicks in): a cat will latch onto your head right after they pounce. The pack will be worthless for protection and if you have a chance to shed it, well,in my case, I was hard pressed to leave it on as I was already feeling trapped and fearful. Peeling my pack, which weighed @ 50-60 lbs, gave me a feeling of physical self-control and power back.

Did you get any more info on your search for carrying on the trail? Have fun on the hike, the PCT is awesome and it's a great time of year to jump on it.

 

[gnarl]

Wow...great routes!
I haven't had my gear out since a few years ago up Icecicle Creek valley in Leavenworth.
I've got mostly tricams on my rack.

Everything I can find indicates it is legal for me to CC in the park and I've a CPL
in any case. I'll be leaving next week and hopefully bring back some good picks;
with NO CATS in them!