Cat Hunt on Marys Peak

 A lady contacted me this morning about a mom cat with six kittens up on Mary's Peak.

Mary's Peak is the highest peak in the coast range of Oregon.   It's out a very crooked road past Philomath then up another 10 miles of curvy narrow winding forest road that sometimes breaks out to give tremendous breathtaking views of valleys and hills below.

There's a small campground near the peak and a day use area at the top with wide open space and a fantastic view.

The lady who contacted me and her friend had caught two of the six kittens and took them home.  That was just over a week ago.  She had since struggled to find anyone willing to go up and find the rest.   She contacted me this morning.   I loaded up traps and left for Mary's Peak.  A mom cat out in that area with kittens is emergency.  And doubtful survival chances for even a week.

I'd not been up there since in college.  Yeah, long long time ago.   I couldn't remember a thing about it.

I found the exact spot though, from the photos she posted, where they caught the two kittens.  It was just beyond the bathroom at the campground, about 30 feet up the trail.

I had hoped I'd see them immediately.  Or hear them.  Or see evidence of them.  But I knew 8 days is a very long time to go without food, for kittens about six weeks old and a mother losing her nutrition nursing them.  And there are big time predators up there.  Along with the smaller ones like foxes, etc.

I found no evidence of them at all.

I searched and searched after setting traps around the area.  There are two loops to the tiny campground.  Each had a mud puddle, the only water sources in the area, so I searched near those.  I searched in culverts.  I played kitten and mom cat sounds from video on my phone, then listened.   Birds galore.  Chipmunks.  Squirrels.  But no cats could I find.

It made me sad.  

I talked to both rangers who I ran into.  Both said they'd watch for them.   One said last Monday he saw a woman walking the campground with two cats beside her, which is strange enough.  When he stopped she said she was just walking her cats.   Ok, like that's normal, way up top Mary's Peak.   He thought the cats were black but wasn't sure.   The mom cat in the brush with the kittens is tri color, the lady who contacted me said.  

Despite the unsuccessful search, I enjoyed the day, walking the trails, enjoying the view up at the day use area too.

This is the campground bathroom, and start of a trail and just up that trail a couple dozen feet is where they saw the mom and kittens and caught two.

I parked the car in this campsite, just above the bathroom.   This is forest service managed and camping there costs only $10 per night!!!!  Yay for the forest service!

One of the mud puddles, that would supply thirsty mom cat with water.   I couldn't find any cat tracks in the damp ground by the edge of it.

I looked in the culvert nearby.

Here's the other mud puddle, down on the other loop of the campground.

I drove up to the top, to the day use area there.  It's beautiful!

 

Some spectacular views on Marys Peak road.

And lastly, one of the missing kittens......taken by the lady who contacted me and saw them.