Joy, and Danger, of Wilderness

It’s called wilderness for a reason. Trails in wilderness areas are unpaved, and the mountain lions aren’t animatronics that back off as soon as they’ve given us a scare. Only with this understanding, as well as full preparation, should humans enter ground where there’s a chance of danger.

Now a lawsuit seeks to recover damages from taxpayers in the death of bicyclist Mark Reynolds, who was fatally attacked by a mountain lion in a sage-strewn corner of Orange County. Not long after, the lion attacked another bicyclist who rode along the same path in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, but she was saved by her biking companion. Authorities later killed the lion.

Reynolds’ parents allege in their lawsuit that county officials failed to keep the public safe from cougars. Because the county installs signs warning about mountain lions -- and rattlesnakes -- at the entrances to all its wilderness parks, it’s likely Reynolds knew there was some chance of a mountain lion encounter. Like all the other hikers, bikers, climbers and bird-watchers, he probably reasonably figured that the pleasure of seeing green hills instead of tract houses was worth the long odds of a serious incident.

As sad as his death was, even sadder is the prospect of municipalities, fearful of lawsuits, restricting access to the remaining bits of untamed land in an otherwise urban or suburban landscape. Of course, then nature lovers would probably sue to open them.

The issue is particularly timely because the extraordinary rains this year have carved ravines into wilderness trails and caused some cliff edges to fall away. Yet more people than usual are eager to get out amid the spring greenery and view the extraordinary crops of purple lupines and flame-colored deerweed.

It shouldn’t take warning signs for people to know they’re entering the wilderness at their own risk. They should go with drinking water and the right gear, as well as a buddy -- and remember that even though it’s probably safer than the drive they took to get there, the wilderness is never predictable. This is one place we’re on our own. That’s part of why we love it so much.