At the threshold of inhabiting our land I discovered the largest tracks that I have ever seen. It was confusing at first as small cat tracks ran along side. This led me to wonder if they were mountain lion tracks with a kitten. At first I only saw 4 digits and no claw marks, a defining feline characteristic. Mountain lions had been rarely seen on the mountain but it was possible.

Upon further examination of the trail of spore I was able to detect 5 digits and a heel and some claw marks. This indicated that they were from a different visitor, a black bear. There had been some rare bear sightings over the years as well.

We had always felt safe on our acreage without concern of predators but now we have a reason to be more attentive while outdoors and more aware of our surroundings.