"What's that horrible smell?" I asked Karen. "Eww... It smells like cat poop."

"It's so strong, it must be a cougar," Karen replied. We looked around. Cougars mark their territory with stinky poop and spray. There have been multiple cougar sightings in the area. A local home surveillance camera showed seven cougars in their yard! Cougars are normally solitary hunters and highly elusive. The cougar was probably watching us.

Today we hiked 6.2 miles on bicycle trails in shady Squilchuck State Park.

Pacific rattlesnakes are non-aggressive. Don't provoke them. Over the years, I have seen Karen throw rocks at rattlesnakes and flick them into the bushes with her pole. The rattlesnakes got fighting mad and came after her. Even baby rattlesnakes are poisonous.

"Leave rattlesnakes alone," I said. "Let's take a wide berth around them." She agreed.

I rarely see rattlesnakes while hiking. Rattlesnakes live in rocky areas and near water. Look before stepping or reaching.

Heat wave in the West! Triple digits. Tomorrow we will hike earlier and much higher on a shady trail to Lake Clara and Marion.

Photos:

1. Mountain Tiger Lily.

2. We found half of a Robin's egg on the trail. A baby bird just hatched.

3. Mountain Ladyslippers are rare in arid North Central Washington. They grow in moist, rich humus, not on dry hillsides.