Hiker recalls 'terrifying' ordeal being stalked by cougars on popular Garibaldi trail
Then she saw another one heading her way.
'It was terrifying,' said Thompson, a Whistler resident.
Another solo hiker on the trail, Damien Bernard, first alerted her to the danger by yelling.
'Damien and I were yelling to each other, to try and move closer together to face the cougars as a unit,' she said.
'I immediately stood up on a large boulder to make myself look big, started waving my trekking poles, and screaming obscenities to try to scare it off.'
Thompson and Bernard were among several hikers who reported being stalked by cougars on Sunday and Monday, prompting closure of the Rubble Creek trail, and the evacuation of the Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows campsites.
Thompson said she's sharing her story to inform other people how to stay safe in the wilderness. An experienced solo hiker, Thompson said this was by far the scariest encounter yet.
Bernard said he first saw one of the cougars on the side of the trail.
'As the cougar stared at me without moving, I spoke to it in a firm voice — but it still didn't react. So I took out my bear spray and got ready to use it if necessary,' he said.
He slowly backed away from the animal.
Running was out of the question. Cougars can sprint up to 80 kilometres an hour, he said.
Then he saw Thompson ahead of him, making herself look big and speaking in a loud voice.
'At that point, I realized the cougar might have moved forward toward her, so I decided to approach and team up with her to scare it away. That's when we noticed — it wasn't just one cougar. There were two of them, and they were hunting, squatting down and walking towards us very slowly.'
Bernard said the cougars were just staring at them, and also hiding and crouching.
'Ashley had the bigger cougar below her path, I was in the middle, and the smaller cougar was behind me. From there, it was obvious — we were in the middle of a hunting setup,' he said. 'I was more surprised than anything, and I immediately wondered whether I was being stalked or if it was just a random encounter.'
The animals were in a crouched position as if ready to leap, 'not sitting there curiously looking at us in a casual manner. I can't stress that enough,' said Thompson.
'These animals were so big, and though terrifying, they are gorgeous. Maintaining eye contact with apex predators for that long is indescribable.'
At one point she thought her life was over.
'If I'm being perfectly honest, especially once I saw that there were two, and that they were slinking towards me rapidly, regardless of my screaming and making myself larger, and intimidating, I thought, 'Oh wow, this is it for me.' It was really just a sinking feeling of dread, given what I've been taught my whole life about these animals. And how dangerous and rare I knew this was. I thought it was over for me.'
As they made their way back to the parking lot, the cougars trailing behind them, they caught up with a group of other hikers and felt a bit safer in numbers.
'After a long while of holding the cougars off with our behaviour, we were eventually joined by other hikers coming up and down the trail, and were able to start moving downwards together, which was the major turning point in the situation,' Thompson said, adding the two cougars still stalked them for a while even though they were in a group of 10.
'That part was extra wild to me, very rare.'
Later, they notified B.C.'s Conservation Officer Service.
B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Parks said conservation officers went to the Rubble Creek trail on Sunday and Monday.
Campers and hikers were safely escorted out of the area by the officers due to 'the aggressive behaviour of these cougars,' a ministry spokesperson said.
To ensure public safety, B.C. Parks closed the trail for a week. It's expected to reopen on June 17 along with the campsites.
Hikers can still get to Garibaldi Lake on the Helm Creek trail, but the ministry warns this is an 18-kilometre detour, hiking through snow for long periods of time.
Thompson said she wants people to understand that humans are encroaching on the animals' territory, not the other way around.
'We are spoiled here in the Sea to Sky and have many beautiful locations to hike and camp,' she said. 'It's important for the public to understand that extended trail closures after dangerous encounters might mean safety for humans, but it also means safety for these animals.
She said repeated exposure to humans and reports could result in the cougars being killed.
Both Thompson and Bernard advised people to know the dangers on the trails and in the backcountry and to come prepared with bear spray and other safety gear.
Always check the B.C. Parks website to learn how to behave if you come across any of these animals, said Thompson.
Added Bernard: 'Carry bear spray, know how to use it, and keep it readily accessible. Educate yourself about wildlife behaviour and always stay aware of your surroundings. Cougars are typically elusive and tend to avoid humans, but it's crucial to respect their space and remain alert.'
Although shaken by the experience, Thompson said she won't let it stop her from doing what she loves most.
'Even as an experienced solo hiker who is hyper aware of the possibility of these encounters, it has absolutely shaken my resolve to hike and backcountry camp. But that being said, I am motivated to get back out there and work through my experience and fears,' she said.
'It was an incredibly humbling experience, and I will ensure it makes me a more informed, more confident adventurer, rather than letting it ruin what I love to do.'
ticrawford@postmedia.com
Rare cougar sighting reported in Vancouver, far from wilderness
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