Sunrise and Mountain Lions

Shyla and I plunged out into the frosty cold air this morning, with me on my snowbike and Shyla running. While we were close to home she stood tall and confident in the glow of the sunrise.

We didn't get much sun, just a brief burst, before it was obscured by the almost completely overcast sky. Shyla watched as the sun disappeared into the clouds.

After the sun faded behind the clouds, I pedaled up higher, to the general area where I've seen so many mountain lion tracks recently. Shyla seemed very worried. We didn't check any trail cameras but I suspect that the mountain lions were still around.

You may remember, in mid-October, that my trail cameras captured a mother-kitten mountain lion pair at multiple locations. Well, I was lucky enough to have the same thing happen again near the end of October. At that time, the mother-kitten pair were still together.

I made a video of their travels. They stopped at a couple of sites to play and to mark the territory. I find it amazing to see these tough predators let down their guard to interact with each other. You can watch the video here or at Youtube.

Note that on 12/1/14, a mountain lion who looked a lot like the mother in the pair was traveling alone. Because the kitten looked almost full grown at the end of October, I wouldn't be surprised if s/he has become independent.

Happy Saturday!