I was guessing maybe a Lynx, sharpening his claws ? I also thought a bear cub trying to turn over a rock ? I found just a few other marks on rocks similar. Though the portage trail was rocky, These were spaced erratically.I showed this to two friends at coffee this morning. One was a conservation officer. The other is a lifelong hunter and all around outdoorsy kind of guy. If an animal made these scratches, they are guessing a cougar. Their reasoning: “All members of the cat family like to scratch, and these are big scratches.”
The rock was rounded, and the marks appear to follow the shape of the rock.I have no idea what they are, but I'm a little disoriented by the photo. Is this rock flat on the ground or is it slanted up on the side of the trail?
If the rock is flat on the ground, I could interpret the scratches as being from two sets of paws or feet. But are the sets too close together to be human feet? If they do represent two human feet with crampons, the feet would have been very close together and sort of shuffling.