Cougars and Ski Resorts

Two ski resorts are opening today at 8:30 a.m. - Arapaho Basin and Loveland. Loveland has a snow base of 15 inches and has 3 runs open; A-Basin has a base of 8 inches and has 2 runs open. There is usually a race to see who will open first to start the "season"; Loveland announced earlier this week that they would open at 9 today - A-Basin then announced 8:30, and Loveland moved their opening back 30 minutes so the opening day title would be shared.

Monday morning, a full grown mountain lion/cougar/puma was spotted on a patio four blocks from my apartment... The residents decided the big cat was interested in their small dog, and after the cougar snarled at the man through a glass door, the man called the Department of Wildlife. DoW baited a trap for the cougar, the trap was sprung, but the cougar was not caught. (Yeah!!!) A lot of people living nearby are upset about this. Personally, I rejoice that a big cat can use the greenways to travel about this growing urban area.
Worried about my cats? Yes, I am. But the address where the cougar was spotted is in a heavily treed area; and while the Boulder Creek Path is at the south end of my apartment building, the backyard is 98% open grass with a couple of trees growing next to the privacy fence, and we live near the north end of the building... so I'm not really terribly concerned about the kits or myself going out and about.

Actually, I totally enjoyed my walk this morning - it was 32 degrees outside, the sun was rising, and (as usual, lately) very few others were out and about. I walked the Boulder Creek Path (in hopes of catching a glimpse of the cougar) and then along 9th Street and back up historic Mapleton, rounding the corner at 30th and back to Arapaho... I saw birds, squirrels, a few runners, two bicyclers, but no big cat. I guess (know) I can't be lucky all the time.