My favorite animal spotting on the PCT

My friend and long-time hiking partner, Howard, and I were walking south from Kennedy Meadows toward Walker Pass. With the prospects of a hot and dry day, we got an early start to enjoy the coolness of the morning as long as possible. For some distance the trail parallels the South Fork of the Kern and soon offered wonderful views of Domeland Wilderness to the west.

We stopped for a rest and a late breakfast just before the trail was to turn east and climb into the Chimney Peak Wilderness. By this time, heat was reflecting off the surrounding rock as the penetrating sun chased away any remnants of the morning chill. Alas, it was inevitable.

Howard has always been much faster than me on the downhills and I tend to lead on the uphill grinds. As the trail snaked in and out of recesses in the mountainside on the long climb, the distance between us grew. After a long pull, I neared the top of the ridge upon which the trail would continue its climb.

It was a treeless ridge with grasses baked brown and a few clumps of chaparral plants. A brief nearby movement caught my attention. I turned and, to my surprise, shared the stare of a curious bobcat. As lengthy as the connection seemed, in truth it was fleeting. Curiosity in the world of wild animals can be dangerous when humans are involved.

The bobcat turned and quickly picked its way along the ridge looking back once, maybe twice, to make sure that I was not doing anything unexpected … and disappeared.

I’ve seen bears, snakes, coyotes, deer, a porcupine, marmots, pika, and other assorted animals along the PCT, but this bobcat was my favorite. Second favorite … was walking through the migration of the California tortoiseshell butterfly … but that’s another story for another time.

BOBCAT FACTS

Bobcats may look cute and cuddly, but these felines that live throughout North America are actually fierce predators. They can leap as far as 12 feet to catch prey and have been known to take down much larger animals, such as young deer. They weight 11 - 30 pounds.

The wild feline is about twice as big as a house cat—and a lot faster. It can run at speeds up to 25 to 30 miles an hour, and it’s skilled at swimming. But the wild cat isn’t totally different from a domestic kitty. Both use whiskers like fingertips to help them feel around their habitat and judge whether an opening is big enough to fit through. They’re both also nocturnal with superb night vision that helps them see in the dark.