Sharon and I are determined to spot a mountain lion. We have taken a careful inventory of those who have spotted and those who have not. Armed with information about where and when the most sightings have occurred we felt secure in starting out. The "right time" however, is a little inconvenient for both our schedules so this past Sunday morning would just have to do. We agreed we could consider this a reconnaissance mission and so we began our journey which would take us about four miles up, up and up a rugged trail which shall remain unnamed for security purposes.
We started out at 6:30am and arrived at the trailhead at about 7:00. The hikersizers were there and some chatting with old friends kept us about 20 minutes. When we finally got on the trail, we immediately took to whispering and stepping softly as the importance of the day began to affect us both simultaneously. This strategy, of course, does nothing to fool the wildcats but helps us to feel active in our mission. We carefully examined each pile of poo for evidence and scanned the terrain for anything unusual as we made our way to what we will call Mountain Lion Ridge. When we first noticed the pawprints in the sand, I personally became a little excited but as we hovered over a second set I admit I became a little bit frightened. These tracks must certainly have been laid recently. I turned to Sharon for reassurance. Sharon reminded me we had already chosen our memorial bench spots. We continued. My enthusiasm reached new heights and I began to fantasize that we were Peter Matthiessen and George Schaller just beginning our hunt for the Snow Leopard.
We enjoyed multiple deer sightings on our way and considered this to be a very good sign as this is the lions favorite prey. I'm always puzzled by how long a deer will stand not several yards before you and stand perfectly still for some six full minutes. I pulled out my camera and the deer did not even seem concerned by the whining as my lens pulled itself into place. How is it that hunting is a sport? This does not seem sporting and I even felt a little guilty for disturbing so gentle a creature and put my camera away again.
The ridge was just as I had imagined it and it was an awesome feeling to be so high above everything. Certainly a wildcat would consider this to be the perfect vantage point. The short, thick, thorny brush provided ample hiding spots and I could imagine the cat slipping in and out where no one could follow. The ridge trail rose steeply and dropped again over several large hills. Sharon will always want to climb "just this next one." Does she just want a new perspective? Or can't she stand not knowing what might be there? I gladly followed Sharon as she generally has good ideas and is up for anything. Besides, who among us would not take an opportunity for a butt lifting activity so effective such as this? We picked a spot on top where we could see into the distance in all directions. And we waited.
This waiting seems troublesome but is entirely necessary when one is looking for something so specific and so elusive. One must be determined and tenacity is the key to success. Jane Goodall waited for hours each day for days on end waiting for the chimpanzees to appear. In fact she waited on a peak with a view of Gombe Valley much like the peak we were sitting on! We felt we were in the perfect mountain lion habitat and if there would be a sighting today, it would be right here. So we waited.
Well certainly one must eventually move on and as we are on a limited time schedule as anyone is we just don't have forever to sit here. After all, Jane Goodall didn't have to get up in the morning for work, as her work was the waiting. So we moved on.
We carefully made our way down the trail which was much trickier than it was coming up. I'm not ashamed to say I made a portion of the decent on my behind. At the junction we noticed a mountain biker taking a break. He looked like a regular so we quizzed him on lions in the area. He indulged that he had been riding this trail for fifteen years but he has only once in that time seen a mountain lion. I felt the possibilities slipping away and our 3.5 miles back was uneventful except for a snake which crossed our path and one or two bikers making their way up in the late morning heat.
We shared a cold water at the bottom with a few friends as we told of our adventure. In my opinion I think we couldn't have expected to see one the first time out of the gate. This is something we'll have to work for. We'll be back.
