Avispa's sighting....

[Avispa]

On yesterday's evening ride: It is amazing how many critters come out after heavy rains in Florida!

The Iguana was huge! At least, 4.5 feet long and 7 inches tall! The sucker just would not move from the bike lane...
The spider freaked the crap out of me, as it jumped from a bush!
And the crab, well, we see those all the time, they think they are so brave sticking their pinchers up when you approach them!

I didn't have a camera, so I had to pull the pics from the Internet.

So, what Summer critters have you seen?

[shinomaster]

Dude I did a rain ride here in Portland a few months back up in the hills and the roads were just covered with slugs. I mean I saw at least 300 or more. I was worried I would hit one and slip and crash out.

[Avispa]

I remember reading your post... It was pretty good! What do you see there in the Summer?

[catulle]

Oh, I run into all kinds of critters, atmo...

[pale scotsman]

There's a bike path down in Milton, FL that gets pretty remote at times. It's not uncommon to see bobcats, snakes of all kinds, gopher turtles, and coyote spoor smack dab in the middle of the trail. My fav though is the escaped Emu that must be 7 feet tall. The thing looks pretty ragged and waaaaay evil just watching you as you go by. It scares the crap out of me whenever I see it.

[Ozz]

I see bald eagles on nearly every ride....saw both an eagle and and osprey riding in to work this past tuesday.

[dave thompson]

A moose. A flock of wild turkeys waddling across the road. A deer that was coming up the path and didn't appear as if it were going to give way. During a rainy ride last month in Seattle I was making slug-a-roni with the Sachs, the colors were not complimentary. Suicidal chipmunks and squirrels more frequently than I care. A large turtle once, taking a leisurely stroll. Quail everywhere. And Moms with cute babies (wishing I could have one again!.

[champlemon]

http://www.nbc6.net/news/9657047/detail.html?rss=ami&psp=news

[Keith A]

How about a 6 foot gator sitting on the side of the road? This was spotted by a rider that was dropped from our group last Saturday and they were worried that the gator my be looking for the slower ones to pick off :eek:

Sadly, we have had three deaths this year from gator attacks -- one of which was a jogger running on a trail.

[RABikes2]

All kinds of stuff including hawks, an eagle, osprey, bluebirds, cardinals, turtles, owls, raccoons, armadillos (sob's), possum, and I saw a coyote once, too.

This past Saturday's ride was great though. :) It was the fifth day in a row of riding, feeling a little sluggish, hot, humid, and I was on the verge of bonking (I needed food). I was with one of my riding partners and we were coming up to a very "out-in-the country" intersection at 37 miles into the ride. I said I was going to stop at the corner to eat a granola bar and GU when...what do I hear? Can it be? It is, it's THE ICE CREAM MAN TRUCKS MUSIC! Hot flipping dang, I didn't care where he came from, I knew I wasn't hallucinating. I flagged him down and for $3.00, we got an ice cream sandwich and a great tasting vanilla carmel Drumstick. Ohh baby baby, that was what I needed. I got home 17 miles later and took a lactose pill. :p
RA

[BumbleBeeDave]

T . . . The thing looks pretty ragged and waaaaay evil just watching you as you go by. It scares the crap out of me whenever I see it.

That wasn't an emu. That was Sandy . . . He escaped again! :eek:

BBD

[Bradford]

And Moms with cute babies (wishing I could have one again!.

Dave,

I think I can help. Come to Denver and watch my little boy. As an added bonus, I'll give you some time off each day and you can ride your old legend. We have a room set up for you that is ready to go.

When you want a break from Suburban Denver, you can head to the mountains to watch Telenick's little girl. I'm sure they could use some reinforcements right about now.

Just let me know when your plane gets in and I'll pick you up at the airport. :banana:

[Avispa]

....to eat a granola bar and GU...
....we got an ice cream sandwich and a great tasting vanilla carmel Drumstick.

What! WHAT!!!! You traded a granola bar AND GU for that other junk?!!

Shame on you, shame on you... :no:

[djg]

The commuting route along the Potomac often features quite a few Canada Geese, which sometimes litter the MUT in several senses of the word "litter." I frequently spot ducks in or along the river, and occasionally herons. Rowers too, and those blading animals.

Rabbits pop out now and then and deer are not unusual, even close to town. Riding out into Virginia the other day I had a fawn jump right in front of me.

[davep]

On the trails in Central Florida I have seen aligators - not actually on the trail, but not far off. During last years 600k brevet group ran into, almost literally, a huge wild boar right in the middle of the trail. Since it was 3am we didn't see him until almost too late. The head came up at least to my top tube.

[BumbleBeeDave]

What! WHAT!!!! You traded a granola bar AND GU for that other junk?!!

Shame on you, shame on you... :no:

Can you crumble up the granola bar and dip the drumstick in it? That might restore at least SOME nutritional value. ;)

BBD

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I have nothing so exotic as gators or emu's. But there is a wide variety of wildlife on the bike trail that runs through our parts. I've seen the usual squirrels, chipmunks, and hordes of itty-bitty bunnies in the spring (before the hawks get 'em all) and in June the snapping turtles come up on the path to lay egs and are wont to strut down the middle like they own it. I've also seen ferrets, deer, martens, herons, and once a bobcat (I think). I also encountered a guy out walking his pet serval cat. It looks like a small cheetah, weighs about 50 lbs., and hissed at me. He said the thing could jump 15 feet from a standstill and had broken every piece of glass in his house!

That's about it . . . but I'm still keeping an eye open for the "Niskayuna Monster", though . . . :eek:

BBD

[kestrel]

Several years ago, 6 of my riding buddies and I went to Marion, NC to do the Marion to the top of Mt. Mitchell loop. It's about 60 miles, 30 going up, and 30 going down. As you enter the park near the top, the road flattens a bit for a mile or so, then there is a switchback, and the road tilts upward for the last mile or two. It was foggy and rainy at the top, and as usual with 7 people climbing, we had each gotten into a rhythm and the group was strung out over a mile or more of mountainside. I was the third rider to make it to the top. On the last turn before the guardrail that signals the parking lot at the top, the fog began to lift a bit, and I saw something in the road as I approached. It was pretty big, and was right in the middle of the pavement. The closer I got, the clearer it became. It was an object, and wasn't moving. Arriving adjacent to the object, I realized it was a big pile of steaming, steaming.... well, steaming poop. It had berries stuck in it, and a long stream of liquid trailing about three feet across the pavement and running actively downhill toward the path I just took. Somehow I found a sudden burst of energy and sprinted the last few hundred yards to the visitor's parking area. I was excited, and immediately asked the two guys at the top if they were amazed at the size of the "pile" in the road. They both looked at each other and back at me with a puzzled expression on their faces, and said, "What "pile"? We discovered, a bear must have made the deposit in the three or four minutes between me and the two riders in front. I still shudder to think what might have transpired if I'd been climbing two or three minutes faster. I wonder if I could have turned that bike around and gained enough speed to outrun an angry, constipated bear.... :D

[BumbleBeeDave]

I have this mental image of Yogi Bear and . . . oh, never mind! ;)

BBD

[Tom]

On the road? Couldn't have been a bear for, as everyone knows, bears **** in the woods.

[kestrel]

On the road? Couldn't have been a bear for, as everyone knows, bears **** in the woods.

Ha, thanks Tom, with that bit of woods lore learned, I will no longer climb Mitchell with the same caution as I have since that incident!

[Keith A]

http://www.gdarkness.com/gatorbait.jpg

[Avispa]

Oh, I run into all kinds of critters, atmo...


Hey Cat,

Does this woman pedal with her chest or with her legs? It looks to me as if only her upper body gets a workout! :eek: :eek:

[tch]

...but here in New England, I think I've seen every mammal/bird acknowledged to live here. Deer, of course. Flocks of turkeys (to the point of being scary). Bald eagles. Porcupine, groundhogs, racoons, snapping turtles, weasels, mink, pheasant, coyote (twice), black bear. And once I even chased a moose up the road for better than 1/2 a mile.
It's amazing in some senses to think about what variety of animal life basically co-exists pretty closely with humans.

[Eric E]

We are going to ride down into Boulder on Saturday for an Adventure Cycling Association event. Recently, the local news reported a collision between a cyclist and a bear on the same road. Bear was fine, and the gal just lost a little skin on her shoulders - she got up and finished the race...

Eric

[Dave B]

Well...here in indiana we have hawks, eagles, turtles, snakes, wild turkeys, but you really have to watch out for the red necks. The ones that have only two or three teeth in the front. Somes times when they catch up to you they will hiss this horrible whistling sound...kinda like "Thaat issss a puuurdy bi-sssssssssssikle." If you are not careful you can get their venom on you. Smells sort winter greeny. Anyway it can sting your eyes and sating your clothes.

Apparently they are indeginous to where I live. I heard once if you get them wet they will multiply. That is why I do not ride in the rain!

[Keith A]

This guy is ready to join us...

http://www.oklahomabicyclesociety.com/Scrapbook/images/bike_bear.jpg

And watch out for other kinds of droppings...

[catulle]

Hey Cat,

Does this woman pedal with her chest or with her legs? It looks to me as if only her upper body gets a workout! :eek: :eek:

I don't know. But I'd rather run into the blond than into her , atmo...

[Keith A]

catulle -- Here's another option for you...

[catulle]

catulle -- Here's another option for you...

I keep on telling her to be a bit more collected but she won't hear it. She says it is better for her when she comes home at night. Go figure.... Maybe I ought to buy her a new bike.

[musgravecycles]

A couple of years ago (while visiting my parents) I got the first confirmed mountain lion sighting in Virginia while coming home from a killer ride on the parkway.

Came over the top of a rise and he was just standing in the middle of the road...

He turned and ran down the road for about 50 yards before darting off into the woods. I was only about a mile from my home and when I got there a friend of my parents happened to be there visiting. He's a BIG time hunter and so I took him back and showed him where it happened. He called the game warden and who came up the mountain, cast the prints, and officially confirmed it. He said that there have been reports from the farmers and stuff but nothing that could be confirmed.

Other than that I've seen lots of critters down in that neck of the woods along the parkway. Coons/Deer/Rattlers/Turkeys/Fox/Bobcats/Quail etc...

[RABikes2]

During last years 600k brevet group ran into, almost literally, a huge wild boar right in the middle of the trail. Since it was 3am we didn't see him until almost too late. The head came up at least to my top tube.
Oh my gosh Dave, how could I have forgotten about the wild boar, 3:00a.m., our group, the trail, and the "embankment". ;) That was a good ride and story to tell. The wild boar episode woke up a few of us (me), for sure. :p
One good memory of BMB 2004 was riding at dusk/early evening the first day, cruising downhill around Mt. Killington, VT, and looking further down the road only to see a bear running across the road. Fun times... :D
RA

[GoJavs]

If you go about 25 miles west of civilization into the Everglades there's a park called Shark Valley. There's a 14 mile loop that you can ride and you'll be riding within feet of gators...Did it - you know - before I had a wife and kids and all.... :)

[GoJavs]

I think Big Dan and I had an actual Avispa sighting today. Hey, Avispa, where you riding the Key today at @6:30PM?

We saw a skinny-looking dude riding a cool Serotta headed the opposite direction.

[Avispa]

I think Big Dan and I had an actual Avispa sighting today. Hey, Avispa, where you riding the Key today at @6:30PM?

We saw a skinny-looking dude riding a cool Serotta headed the opposite direction.

I had a white jersey....

Where you the two guys on Treks, Discovery outfits and yellow bands? :eek:








LOL :D :D Sorry man, could not resist the joke!!! :D :D

[GoJavs]

Walked right into that one, didn't I? Nope - we left our wristbands and Treks at home... :rolleyes:

Big Dan was wearing an ONCE jersey and riding a red LeMond. I was wearing a Hampsten jersey and riding my Landshark. I'll look for you again sometime.

[catulle]

People love to eat iguanas on my neck of the woods. I used to eat them but I no longer do because they are becoming scarce. They have tender white meat that tastes like chicken.

People here also love to eat the eggs from the iguana. They catch the iguanas during the dry season when they are easier to find, they cut open the belly of the iguana, extract the eggs, and often just saw up the poor beast with regular cotton thread. The eggs come in long strings which are hung in the sun to dry.

Who said savages were kind? Rousseau? He was full of foie gras, atmo.

[manet]

Who said savages were kind? Rousseau? He was full of foie gras, atmo.

kinda'

[catulle]

He doesn't look too kind to me, atmo. BTW, I think Gaugin spent several months on an island called Taboga only a few miles from where I live. That was back during the French attempt to build a canal across the isthmus.

[Bittersweet]

This spring my wife and I popped out of the woods near our house on our mtbs and started riding the road for a few miles and in the distance appeared a Newfoundland dog - we thought. As we got closer it was a very good size black bear. Looked at us and loped into the woods. It's very quiet and rural here and I certainly see bear signs around but you don't often see them. This the biggest I had seen in the wild in New England and it was a real treat. Given the time of year it was probably looking for trash in someone's backyard.