News of a woman’s death being attributed to a possible mountain lion attack shook the outdoor recreation world this week, believed to be the first death related to a mountain lion attack in Colorado since 1999. The suspected attack occurred on New Year’s Day, involving a woman who was on Crosier Mountain Trail in the Glen Haven area, about seven miles northeast of Estes Park.

In hours that followed, a man has come forward to share his story of a scary encounter with the predator species that took place in recent weeks on the same trail.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Gary Messina says he was running along Crosier Mountain Trail during the early morning hours on November 11 when he bumped into an aggressive mountain lion. Still under the cover of darkness, Messina caught the gleam of the big cat’s eyes with his headlamp and was able to take a photo of the animal before it rushed him.

Messina then threw his phone at the mountain lion, kicking dirt and yelling as it circled around to get behind him. A couple minutes transpired, with Messina eventually breaking off what he described as a “bat-sized stick” from a nearby log and using that to strike the mountain lion on the head. The mountain lion then ran away.

Messina reports that he tried to back away from the situation, but that this would result in the mountain lion lunging to get closer.

Weeks later, it’s believed that one or more mountain lions attacked and killed a woman on the same trail. Two mountain lions were killed following that woman’s death, with a necropsy set to determine if those specific cats were involved in the attack. One of those mountain lions was found close to the woman’s body, with the other found in the same general area.

Despite Colorado being home to 3,800 to 4,400 members of this big cat species, mountain lion attacks are notably rare. Between 1990 and 2025, 28 mountain lion attacks were reported in the Centennial State, resulting in three deaths.

A full report from Associated Press, including Messina’s account, can be found here.

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