Monday, October 13, 2014

Now THAT Was Creepy (and gross! beware!)

Before I get into what was creepy and why I want to point out something that I learned today. This is the most important thing in the news after Ebola and ISIS (not really, I’m just making light of our dire world situation).

Remember in a post I wrote a couple weeks ago (8 Pet Peeves You May Have About Runners) where I talked about how I hate it when people don’t put the seat down in the porta potty?  There is actually scientific evidence behind why this is a good idea:

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Tip: Don’t touch the seat. Put it down with your foot.

Now onto creepy. What you are all waiting for. If you get easily pukish and queasy from graphic things you might want to skip the rest of this post.

On Sunday Ken and I went for an 8 mile trail run at one of our favorite spots (Heil Ranch). It was about 8:30 a.m. It’s no secret that there are wild things on these trails (duh, it is the wilderness after all), but at this trail all we’ve ever seen are wild turkeys, deer and mountain bikers that smell like Axe (not ass).

We started running (and I started looking goofy):

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About a half mile in, we encountered this.

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Yeah. And, this 10 feet away (stomach and intestines – oh and a leg).

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Clearly Dateline needs to get in here and do a show:

It was early morning when they set out on the trail. A couple in their mid-forties just looking for some recreation.

All of a sudden they came upon a grisly scene. The couple felt they had no reason to fear…OR DID THEY???”

Ken promised me we had nothing to fear, but I did fear. Wouldn’t you?

We kept going and every chipmunk and leaf that fell from the tree almost made me shart myself. I kept trying to remember what I was supposed to do if I got attacked by a lion. Let the lion eat Ken? Scream and yell like a school girl? Offer it ribbon to play with? I relaxed the further into the run I got (mostly because I was too tired to keep worrying about some little kitty that might want to eat me).

As we came back down the trail there was a ranger taking pictures of the lovely carcass. All of this time I thought this was the work of a mountain lion. NO, the ranger said. It was a pack of coyotes. He knew this because apparently mountain lions drag their prey out of the open and bury/cover them so they can feast on them for several days. Coyotes just go to town where ever the hell they want.

Mean little suckers.

Anyone want to go on a trail run with me?

SUAR

29 comments:

  1. Ugh. Be careful out there! Here in FLA we have panthers that do the same thing but I'm more worried about Ebola. ISIS and potta john smells.

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  2. What email is this? No animals other than pheasant on my early morning, in the dark trail run

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  3. And I thought Walking Dead was gross.

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  4. That would totally freak me out. I can't stand it when I see dead mice and chipmunks on my trail--can't imagine what it would be like to come up on that deer carcass. Stay safe out there!

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  5. WHOA! Um yeah. I would probably turn and run and be convinced death was eminent. Yikes. Excuse me while I hurl.

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  6. You totally missed out on a paleo feast, should have chowed down just like your caveman ancestors would have.

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  7. Holy crap!!!! I would have been completely freaked out. That is disgusting but also super scary!!!!

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  8. We have coyotes here in suburban Chicago. I've never feared them until this post. Thanks, Beth.

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  9. Not gonna lie, as a Biology major (20 years ago but still....) those pictures sort of fascinated me!! The portapotties with the lids up on the other hand totally gross me out!

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  10. Yes, I would totally go on a trail run with you, even if I am bigger and slower. It would be so much fun.
    Are you sure you don't have a race scheduled in Calgary?

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    1. Yup we have good wildlife up here in Calgary, and mostly they do not leave their dinner on my running path. We have a very nice race in February called the Hypothermic Half. Ok, maybe I am not doing a very good sales job here.

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  11. At the first mile of my half marathon sunday, we passed a roadkill deer with a maggot coming out of its eye. I would have to say your deer is a little grosser.

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  12. Omg I wish I hadn't seen that. :( This wasn't creepy it was graphic.

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    1. yes! I think I mentioned that too.

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    2. Yeah, I can't unsee it either. From now on I'll take her "beware" a little more seriously. ::shudder::

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  13. I run with bears, mountain lions and coyotes, just waiting for the non native reintroduced wolves that were shoved down our throats to make it this far, rumor is they already have. I kind of liked running here a lot better when it wasn't inhabited by all these things that like to eat meat. Carnivores and bears (yes I know they are an omnivore) are making a huge comeback up here. EEK! Good for them, bad for me and for the deer population that has plummeted on the ranch

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  14. Looks like they did a hell of a job cleaning that thing out! Holy moses! I don't have many wild animals in the corn fields of northern Indiana that would do damage like that, but we do have a lot of suicidal deer that are found on the roadside.

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  15. Yikes! Here in Illinois we just need to worry about skunks crossing our path. But I would definitely run a trail run with you!!!! I can be loud enough to protect both of us. :)

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  16. I'm going to puke...
    I am actually used to seeing those things on my country road, but I avoid them at all costs - other side of the road... vultures will actually be gnawing away & dare you to get close.

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  17. I thought it was going to be some small animal... but that picture is GROSS! better warning...LOL! I mean, did they eat his head? wow! Im not into trail runs just yet...but something is telling me, dont go alone...

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  18. That is a big reason why we have nuisance hunts of Eastern Coyotes/coywolves

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  19. Eww, so gross! That's why I never run

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  20. Yuck! I always enjoy seeing wilds animals when I'm home from school running trails and hiking waterfalls but nothing like that....

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  21. I would have guessed a bear. I probably wouldn't go on a trail run with since I believe the key to survival in the forest, and apparently on trail runs, is to be able to outrun whoever your with:) The weirdest/grossest/creepiest thing I see on my runs is underwear. More pairs than you c acne believe.

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