Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mount Saul via the Airplane Lake - June 10th 2020
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kitya
Fortune Cookie



Joined: 15 Mar 2010
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Location: Duvall, WA
kitya
Fortune Cookie
PostFri Jun 12, 2020 9:07 pm 
Sculpin wrote:
Oops, should have worded my comment better, I meant to say that the scat in the image is most likely from a porcupine. Porcupines are mostly nocturnal so rarely seen. I have seen them four or five times over the years, more in the Olympics than the Cascades. They have zero fear and cannot really run, so you can walk right up to them
I see! Interesting! I see that this poop is different than other poops (that are obviously made by a bear), but I'm not sure if it is from porcupine like you say or from bear right after hibernation as Mike suggested. I know it is hard to guess from the photo, but the size is really big, i.e. same as bear poop size. Could porcupine have such a big poo? Out of curiosity - what side of Olympics did you see them? I wish I will find time to explore Olympics more. It is a long drive for me. I also noticed porcupine sightings reported by hikers in eastern cascades, like in Pasayten, but sadly I also rarely go drive that far. So many wonderful places still to explore!
zephyr wrote:
I agree after seeing that video. ... Sometimes I wish you would just say "I'll come back another day." Otherwise another stellar trip report. ~z
Hard to go back after driving for 2 hours right smile.gif

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Brushbuffalo
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Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between
Brushbuffalo
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PostSat Jun 13, 2020 6:54 pm 
Sculpin wrote:
Kitya, you seem like a prime candidate for a porcupine sighting.
When you see your first, watch Cookie closely. She will likely be curious, but a 'porky- stuck' dog is awful. Another good reason you always use the leash! ( I had a dog, unleashed, that got quilled in the face on two separate occasions...he didn't learn, nor did I ).

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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Mike Collins
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Mike Collins
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PostSat Jun 13, 2020 8:36 pm 
I saw a porcupine crossing the road by Cougar Mountain park. They just waddle along at ~1 MPH.

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Cyclopath
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Joined: 20 Mar 2012
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
PostMon Jun 15, 2020 12:26 pm 
Spectacular pictures! I can't believe there's so much snow!! Love the one looking down into the valley, it looks like the magic in Glacier NP. The shades of green are so incredibly lush and full of life. Sometimes deer mice like making friends with kind humans. They want to remind you that wildlife isn't just mountain goats and grizzly bears.

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kitya
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Joined: 15 Mar 2010
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Location: Duvall, WA
kitya
Fortune Cookie
PostMon Jun 15, 2020 3:00 pm 
So lucky for you Brushbuffalo and Mike to see porcupines! I'm sure Cookie will not harass them. She is very kind and always on leash, right smile.gif Cyclopath - yes, deer mice are great, I agree. And the size of the body sure doesn't mean the soul is small. They are as exciting as any bigger animal can be. I know some people adopt them as pets too. But actually I hoped for more snow. When researching before the trip I found the trip report from back in 1999! It was on July 5 and report hitting snow at 4000 feet. My trip is almost a month earlier, but I didn't hit snow until 5000 ft. Just two datapoints, obviously, but 1000 ft is a lot of difference of snow level.

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Brushbuffalo
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Brushbuffalo
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PostMon Jun 15, 2020 3:21 pm 
kitya wrote:
porcupines! I'm sure Cookie will not harass them. She
Kitya, it isn't that sweet Cookie would harass the porky, she might only be curious and approach for a sniff or closer look to this strange- looking 'doggie'. Porcupines seem oblivious to what other smallish mammals fear. A curious pup is viewed as an annoyance. They don't 'throw' quills any more than cholla ( a notorious plant in some deserts) 'jump' at you with their spines, but the quills come off very easily and a wag of their tail onto dog's face can result in a terrible scene. My multi-tool with pliers saved my dog. It was awful. ( lifetime, I have seen half a dozen live porcupines. They [url=https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8026787&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 ]show up in the strangest places[/url], the strangest for me being on the summit of Glacier Peak in 1978. )

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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kitya
Fortune Cookie



Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 842 | TRs | Pics
Location: Duvall, WA
kitya
Fortune Cookie
PostMon Jun 15, 2020 3:26 pm 
Brushbuffalo wrote:
Kitya, it isn't that sweet Cookie would harass the porky, she might only be curious and approach for a sniff or closer look to this strange- looking 'doggie'. Porcupines seem oblivious to what other smallish mammals fear. A curious pup is viewed as an annoyance. They don't 'throw' quills any more than cholla ( a notorious plant in some deserts) 'jump' at you with their spines, but the quills come off very easily and a wag of their tail onto dog's face can result in a terrible scene. My multi-tool with pliers saved my dog. It was awful. ( lifetime, have seen half a dozen live porcupines. They show up in the strangest places, the strangest for me being on the summit of Glacier Peak in around 1976).
I see. Thank you for the warning! Sorry for your poor dog, but happy you saved her! And summit of Glacier Peak with porcupine is sure super amazing and strange!

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Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mount Saul via the Airplane Lake - June 10th 2020
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