Since I couldn't go to Joshua Tree, went hiking a few miles north of the border out east of San Diego.

I hike this place with regularity. It is mainly mountain bikers, people walking their dogs off leash, and illegal immigrants. Very few hikers like me. I routinely find their trash of water bottles, food wrappers, and clothes. Only once before have I seen any immigrants here, a group of 5 guys with large backpacks.

Today I was hiking down a canyon I hadn't gone down before. Off trail, but their was a hint of a trail used by the migrants.



As I came around a bend, I spot a person. I stopped and texted my wife, just in case. I noticed three men total and they moved pretty quickly after they saw me.

They weren't carrying large backpacks, so probably not hauling drugs, but still wanted to play it safe. I made some noise with my hiking stick so they knew I was there and then proceeded up the ridge so I had higher ground. As I came around the bend, I saw them running, so I figured we had good separation between us. I came back to the bottom and continued my hike and could see in the tracks they were running for the next mile.



Pretty mild encounter. We saw each other and they ran. Didn't even see border patrol. My first encounter here, saw them later and they asked if I saw anyone and reported the five guys I saw, but he said he had already caught them. Today's guys probably made it to wherever they were going.

Growing up in South Texas, encounters were routine, but never had a negative one. Always heard stories of them killing dogs or burning buildings, but my personal encounters have mainly been them running, though they do start wildfires here when they run out of water.

Anyone have negative encounters while hiking?

A young bull moose between me and the trail back to camp at dark. Other than that, no bad encounters hiking in TX or CO. I'm almost always armed with at least a handgun.

Gotta watch out for the moose!

I've walked up on a black bear more than once in New Mexico. Fortunately they didn't have cubs and were pretty flighty.

I've never encountered illegals while hiking but have while working. Multiple times. Most were good folks looking for help. Twice they were clearly working f for the cartel and I got the hell outta there.

A couple of rattlers, a few black bears over the years. I spent a few days in big Bend Ranch earlier this week and saw nothing unusual. That's a pretty remote area. Nowhere to go for many miles, and nothing much for a long ways on the Mexico side too. There was a lot of DpS and border patrol but not any more than previous years.

A presumed rabid raccoon that stared me down mid path mid day for like 20 seconds, bears (mostly on the drive in or out), foxes, a wild dog that acted like it wanted to attack me until I acted big and it ran, among others.
But the weirdest was when I was hiking a peak in the blue ridge. It was really rocky with some climbing and I stumbled upon a vulture in a crag. He was blocking my path so I couldn't move forward, and it was a big one. So we had a bit of a staring contest and I legit thought he might jump me because it was looking territorial. But what made it interesting is that it hissed at me. Which I never knew birds did. He eventually cleared out and I continued on.

Walked up on this end of last summer in SE Idaho...

I walked up on a couple of teenagers having sex off a trail in a local park. Just after lunch on the day of the prom. Him in his tux her in her evening dress. Had another couple similarly dressed recording with their phones.

How long before you got bailed out on your indecent exposure charges?

I came across three coons feasting inside the cage of a deer feeder last week while hiking on my ranch. There are now three fewer coons gracing the banks of the San Antonio River.

Pro Sandy --

Are you armed when you go on these hikes?

came around a corner and saw some dude's bare ass taking a dook.

he had been on another trail and went off trail to take a dump. he didn't survey the surrounding to realize there was another trail 5 feet below him.

Or did he?!?

based on his embarrassment, he definitely did not.

A blue haired tattooed and pierced young lady (I think) running up the trail towards me screaming and waving around a giant bowie style knife.

Turns out she had seen a bear around the corner and was running away from it. The bear of course had taken one look at her and ran the opposite direction. I was bummed that she ran off the bear.

Or the overweight dude wearing a speedo and some sort of strappy leather string top at dusk along a trail in downtown Richmond. One of my scouts ran ahead, saw the guy, and ran back towards me screaming " I sEe PeOpLe FrOm WaLmArT "

We don't hike there anymore.

Hiking around matagorda beach one time walked up on a dude getting sucked off by his side piece. Later ran into them at the bait shop that evening.

I was just in the San Diego area. My hikes mostly took my from our beachhouse to the beach or for lunch down on Orange Avenue. Did see some SEALs, but left them alone. They were McPs enjoying beer.

A black bear and cub on a run in Angel Fire New Mexico (nearly a brown shorts moment when I saw the cub with the momma)

A couple engaged in intimate activities: once off a path while running, once when I opened a public park bathroom at 6am to handle business

Various snakes of course

Just recalled a totally bizarre scene from two falls ago.

We we're leaving the Weminuche wilderness on horseback after a successful moose hunt. About 3 miles from the trailhead, we ran into a whacked out guy with a spear hunting dragons. He seemed to be tripping (mushrooms or LSD). Our conversation was brief and we just quickly pushed on…

Twelfthman99 said:

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I came across three coons feasting inside the cage of a deer feeder last week while hiking on my ranch. There are now three fewer coons gracing the banks of the San Antonio River.

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My grandparents had a small ranch on the San Antonio River on 236 decades ago as did my uncle. The land was part of a larger segment that had been in the family since the 1830s or 40s. Spent a lot of time as a kid walking up and down that river and a gully that connected to it shooting stuff (bb gun) and fishing. Google maps looks different than back then, though there was never much there anyway.

No, the land I hike on is a mix of NWR, BLM, state, and local, and the gun laws vary for each, so I don't carry.

Ran into some more this past Sunday. Was hiking with my dad to get to a pond for sunrise. Ran into a group of 3 or 4 coming down the trail we were going up. They stopped and turned around, then crossed the creek to get around us. Being Christmas Eve and wanting to make sure there was no confusion on who we were since they would be between us and my truck, I said "Hola! Feliz Navidad!" One responded the same, a few mutters, and then I think one realized that I was saying I'm not Border Patrol and he said "thank you, my friend."

Made it to the pond, but pickup up enough dirty clothes to fill a black trash bag full that the migrants left behind. I'm always picking up trash they leave when out hiking.

He's been waiting all year for your response.