It is the unexpected that make adventures memorable. On this trip to the little lake in the Cascades, I had an unexpected encounter. Truly a once in a lifetime event.
On this second trip to the mountains in 2019, I returned to the same area. This time the snow had melted and only a single snow bank covering about 40’ of the road. I misjudged the approach on the first try and plowed into a deep spot. I was able to back out and choose a crossing approach. With this approach I was able to power through a shallower section and skirt the deepest areas.
After plowing through the snow, I was able to get to the little lake I call Merganser Lake. True to form the Mergansers were in residence. I quickly set up my truck and chair before walking the lake shore.
The lake area was mostly snow free and there were even some flowers in bloom. The best part, there were no mosquitoes!
After a quick walk around the lake I set things up for dinner. I started my fire after clearing the grass from the area just outside of my tarp. Here is a shot of the area before clearing showing the tinder and log set.
I tried taking a video of the fire starting but I had my hands in the way and knocked the camera off target. As I mentioned I need some practice in using the camera; it’s not as easy as it looks.
Dinner is Jodpur lentils over Basmati rice. I set the rice to boil on my little BushBox using the Trangia alcohol
burner. This setup is easy to start and gets the rice away from the fire. I boiled it for about 5 minutes and then set the covered rice aside to steam.
I slipped the kettle on the burner and boiled water for coffee. I refilled the pot and put the lentils on to heat.
This meal is not complicated and reflected my uncertainty in arrival time. I had expected more snow and figured that I would be digging a path to the campsite. I had time enough to have prepared a meal but I wasn’t sure and was not at all disappointed as things went perfectly.
The evening passed quickly. I spent some time fiddling with the camera trying low light shots. Sadly none of the shots came out well enough to save. I also set up my game cam on a trail south of camp on which I had seen fresh elk and deer tracks.
I remember Sandy (The Wilshire Man) suggesting that a stick behind they upper portion of the cam tilts it in such a way as better shots are delivered.
I sat next to the fire drinking decaf and listening to the sounds of the night. At about ten PM I set up my sleeping bag and retired to the truck. A changing breeze blew too much smoke into the truck, so I opened the side windows for ventilation. I need to get them some screens.
During setup I neglected to check the bed level and the truck was slightly nose up. Since I slept with my head towards the tail gate I felt like I was sliding out of the truck. Just after midnight it got annoying so I reached out and pulled up the tailgate. I didn’t bother closing the window as the temperatures were so mild.
I went back to sleep enjoying the quiet. Just about 4am I felt the truck shake and my sleeping pad move. As I came awake I heard sniffing sounds and felt the pressure of a paw on my thigh. My first thought was that my wife’s cat had awakened me to get her something to eat; not an infrequent occurrence at home. Her cat will climb on our bed and then walk on top of me to get my attention. It took a moment to realize that I was not at home and the cat was not with me.
I must have moved, or the creature felt the warmth of my leg, but regardless it was out of the truck in a flash. I heard the barest of scrambles on the tailgate, then nothing.
I grabbed a flashlight and searched the darkness. To the south, I caught the barest glimpse of a short tailed cat darting into the forest. I was struck by the how high the cat held it’s rear end. Had I actually been touched by a wild Canadian Lynx? Lynx are known but rare in this area, bobcats are much more common. However bobcats are reputedly much more violent. My encounter was quite peaceful, short but peaceful. I could see a pair of young cat brothers wandering through the forest when one brother says to the other, “I double cat dare ya to jump into that truck over there!”
After that wide occurrence, I was much too excited to get back to sleep. So I threw a log on the fire and sat in my chair waiting for more of what the night would bring. I lamented not having a night vision scope; by using the flashlight I’ve alerted the entire forest to my presence.
Eventually I was able to fall back to sleep; and yes, I did close the window. It wasn’t until morning that I thought about the implications of what had just happened. There were infinitely many more ways the encounter could have gone wrong. When I talked it over with my wife she added a few more.
The morning dawned rainy and cool. I started the day by cutting another pole to spread the tarp a bit further away from the driver’s side shell window. I was hoping that the smoke would fill the shell as much.
Then I went to collect the game cam. The cat had run on the trail toward the camera so I was hopeful of catching it as it passed. Sadly there was no cat. However I did capture a short clip of a snowshoe hare, favorite prey of the Canadian lynx.
The encounter occupied my thoughts all day. At times I had almost convinced myself that it couldn’t have happened; I msut have imagined it. I fixed a breakfast of fried potatoes, onions, and bell peppers cooked in my new GSI pan from FireBox Stoves, and washed it down with lots of coffee.
I poured some marinate over a block of tofu for my lunch and dinner and set it on snow to sit. Lunch was to be marinated tofu and roasted sesame seed sandwiches, with chips and Gatorade.
First I went to the east shore of the lake and took a short video clip of the still morning waters.
I have to lubricate my tripod a bit to get it running more smoothly, but overall I’m real pleased with how the shot was captured. The equipment seems to be adequate.
I spent the rest of the morning I practiced with the camera. I tried out the close up lens on wood violets.
And a more difficult target to get in focus: Sitka alder buds.
Just after noon I returned to camp and rekindled the fire for lunch. I selected the most flavored tofu chunks and fried them with sesame seeds.
I hadn’t made these in years and never over a campfire. The seeds flavor the outside in contrast to the salty soy sauce on the inside. I added Wasabe for a bit of bite. They are so good that I’m sure I’ll repeat this recipe.
I spent the afternoon wandering the old-growth forest on the southwest shore of the lake. I’ve always marveled how this lake could be at the top of the mountain, but sure enough there are no nearby areas higher than say 25’ above water level.
I concentrated on tracking elk through the forest, hoping for sign of the cat. No cats, but lots of elk, and some rabbit sign.
Towards afternoon the wind came up so I returned to camp. My tarp was blown down so I set it back up and made coffee. As I sipped my coffee, I sat and watched clouds of mosquitoes gather overhead. They swarmed maybe ten to fifteen feet overhead. When the wind blew they retreated to the forest emerging as soon as the air calmed.
Another gust of wind took down my tarp. This time it was accompanied by a light rain. I decided to relocate to the meadow and spend the night in a more sheltered position. I quickly packed up taking my tarp poles with me.
The meadow was indeed more sheltered. I set up the tarp and started a fire. By this time the rain had begun with earnest. The weather forecast before I had left predicted a severe storm for Saturday night. I had hoped that they might be wrong, but indications were they were correct.
I put the curried rice mix I had pre-mixed on to boil and cut vegetables for my dinner, tofu kabobs on curried rice.
By the time I had finished dinner it was dark and a steady rain was falling. I sat under my tarp listening to the rain fall and the wind blow. When a gust of wind blew the tarp down I packed up and returned home.
This was a once in a lifetime trip. I had been touched by a wild bobcat, or perhaps a Canadian Lynx. Regardless, it was an experience that I will long remember. A wild cat counted coup on me.