Where was I?

[Anniesantiago]

I am in the desert for the winter, without my journals, and I'm wracking my brain trying to remember where I was in a particular situation, in answer to someone's post about safety on El Norte.

Last year, I walked stages of the VDLP (it wasn't there), the Frances, the Aragones, and the Norte.

SOMEWHERE along one of those ... I was frightened by huge cougar tracks. I will describe this place as best I can and maybe someone will recognize it. I thought I had posted this when I returned, but can't find the post.

Ok.. so I remember that when I began the day, the track was on pavement and I was supposed to go straight at this crossroads, but I was hungry for breakfast and there was a small town to the LEFT. I veered off about 1/2 mile and ate, then on my way back to the track, I stopped at a doctor's office or clinic to ask directions because the map showed two ways of walking; you could either go OVER the mountain or around it. After speaking to a nurse in the office, I decided to go OVER the mountain.

I walk back to the crossroads and turn left, go through a sparse neighborhood, and then the track goes RIGHT and begins climbing a small mountain. I want to say it's eucalyptus, but could have been pine or even both. I can't recall. I just know it's suddenly very forested, and the track is muddy. It climbs up up up - the trail is a little rough - red clay mud - through trees -

At the top, there is tree harvesting going on. There are stacks of logs on the side of the trail, and some heavy equipment.

It is here that the hair on the back of my neck stands up and I feel I'm being watched.
I look around, then down to the ground to see some VERY large cougar tracks.
I know they are cougar b/c I've seen a lot of them on my own forest property.

As I come DOWN the small mountain, I walk into the most ethereal looking valley I think I've ever seen! There is a beautiful small farm on the right, it is all very green, pastures.. just gorgeous.

That's all I can remember.
I walked this sometime between September and November.
Does this sound remotely familiar to anyone?
It's driving me nuts! :lol:

 

[Peter Robins]

It is here that the hair on the back of my neck stands up and I feel I'm being watched.
I look around, then down to the ground to see some VERY large cougar tracks.
I know they are cougar b/c I've seen a lot of them on my own forest property

the cougar is an American species. There are no cougar in Europe. If it was definitely a feline track, probably a wild cat http://www.iberianature.com/mammals/oth ... -in-spain/

 

[Canuck]

Annie,

What you describe, according to my memory, would be on The Norte a few km (5 or 6) before Vega de Sariego, more precisely at La Campa(Where you can have a good meal at a Service Station/Restaurant a little to the right as you meet the main road after the climb). This would be one stage before Oviedo. Were you there at any time?
Concerning the Cougar, as mentionned in the previous post, forget it. I doubt very much you would find one of these in that part of Spain.

Cheers,
Jean-Marc

 

[Anniesantiago]

Well, I guess by "cougar" I meant a wild cat of some kind, as a generic term. Sorry I wasn't more specific. We often use "panther" the same way in the south.

If there are no "cougars" in Spain, maybe a lion or tiger was loose from the zoo or circus , because this was a HUGE cat paw... larger than the palm of my hand; not a domestic cat at all, and much larger than I would think a lynx would be. Or maybe someone up there has one as a pet.

It was fresh, and was in damp, but not soft mud.

Whatever it was, it scared the snot out of me! :lol:

 

[docbok]

Well, I guess by "cougar" I meant a wild cat of some kind, as a generic term. Sorry I wasn't more specific. We often use "panther" the same way in the south.

If there are no "cougars" in Spain, maybe a lion or tiger was loose from the zoo or circus , because this was a HUGE cat paw... larger than the palm of my hand; not a domestic cat at all, and much larger than I would think a lynx would be. Or maybe someone up there has one as a pet.

It was fresh, and was in damp, but not soft mud.

Whatever it was, it scared the snot out of me! :lol:

If you are thinking of the walk up to O'Ceibrero leaving Villa Franca, the road to the right goes up a very steep climb into ancient chestnut groves and the road to the left follows the highway. In late May 2009 I noticed quite a bit of bear scat by the trail. As a Canadian hiker, I recognized it immediately although there have been no bears (officially) in the area for centuries. I heard from a South African hosteller just before Portomarin that a bear carcass had been found on the road earlier in the month. hit by a car and there have been some sightings in the hills - presumably they were feasting on fallen chestnuts.
Brown/black bears are pretty much harmless to hikers provided you make enough noise to let them avoid you, and you don't get between mama and the babies. The difference between bear/wolf/dog tracks and any kind of cat is that everything but a cat leaves claw marks on the tips of the pad. Scarey footprints, but harmless.
My guess is that you saw bear tracks. The slope was steep enough that your huffing and puffing would have scared them away.

 

[jprogers]

Hi there
If it was on the Norte it may have been between Castro-Urdiales and Laredo. There are alternatives there. But the alternative through La Magdalena way, which increases the distance, is over a mountain & through the forest . And in June 2009 there was alot of stacked logs at the top of this hill, and recent logging activity, .....not many yellow arrows mind you. Then this path opened up into a beautiful valley with granite outcrops on one side and then headed towards Liendo and Laredo. For us, the best thing at Liendo was the ice cream van turning up as we were all resting under a tree. Magic!!

We didnt see any paw prints.
Cheers Jill

 

[TerryB]

Hi Annie,
I don't recognise your place description but there are strange tracks in Spain. Here is a pic that I took of a hand size paw print. This was on the Primitivo near San Roman de Retorta. The print was in soft mud and if you look hard you can see the trail mark left by the critter's tail just to the right of the crook.. On showing the photo to locals they said it was a PORCUPINE!!!! Apparently the African Crested Porcupine is around in some wooded isolated areas of Spain. Must have been as big as a collie dog but harmless if you keep away from its quills.

Blessings on your memories!
Terry