This Majestic Cat on Instagram Is Our New Hiking Icon
Does the name Jean Luc Piccat ring a bell? If Star Trek came to mind, you’re not too far off. Jean Luc, an adventure-hungry Bengal cat, lives in Seattle and has earned notoriety for taking after the adventurous spirit of his namesake Jean Luc Picard, Captain of the starship USS Enterprise-D.
His expeditions through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest are a bit more earth-focused than Picard’s, but certainly no less risky. Jean Luc’s “continuing mission, (is) to explore strange new trails. To seek out new mountains and new trail-side snacks. To boldly go where no cat has gone before,” according to his Washington Trail Association profile. At least not domestic house cats, anyway.
Along the way, he interacts with creatures both man and beast and has become an accomplished hiker even by the standards of his outdoors-y hometown of Seattle. Along with owner Mike Kempton, the pair recently conquered Washington’s Mailbox Peak Trail. Jean Luc, a captain in every sense, put together a detailed trip report of the pair’s brave mission complete with a photo of him atop the mailbox itself.
As it turns out, Jean Luc is the purrfect hiking companion and proves dogs aren’t the only animals that make for outdoor adventure buddies. Follow his ongoing travels via Instagram. 
