I got out today pretty early – the gate at the Rattlesnake Mountain Exit 27 lot wasn’t open but I just parked along the road outside the gate.
The big deal today: I saw my first mountain lion in the wild.
As I was coming down from Stan’s:
I detoured to the service road and ahead of me about 200 yards I saw the big cat cross the road from my right to my left. It did not see me, which is a good thing. Had I left Stan’s a few second earlier the cat might have had to decide what to do about the trespasser. All’s well that does not end in being attacked by a mountain lion.
I was surprised at how much snow there was:
But it was OK, I never had to put on my spikes. I only saw one person. She was walking a Golden Retriever and I gave them a head’s up about the cat. I think she decided to truncate her plans. I doubt the cat would be much of a threat but you never know.
It was nice to get out. I hope to keep ramping up the effort.