September 17, 2008

Back on September 17th, 2008,  I went to get endorphins, hiking a looped trail in the Santa Ynez Mountains. I was two-thirds finished, the sun had just set, and the sky was orange. I came around a turn where the trail went inwards, before coming back out and around with the view forward. I come back around into view of a fire road and suddenly noticed two tawny-colored bodies cross it about thirty yards ahead. The first thought was—“Ah, deer!” The next, "Those aren’t deer—Bobcats! Awesome! Wait, those aren’t bobcats—those are mountain lions!” They had stopped, now looking at me. Sleek and beautiful, both between eighty/ninety pounds. They go from being taken by surprise to recognizing me as prey—what cats look like when they go into that mode, their eyes going big and black. "I’m about to be attacked by two mountain lions!" My body dilates and knees buckle as I almost shit my pants. I raised my arms to make myself appear bigger, and yelled. They didn’t flinch, frozen, black eyes of death. I back up around the turn, hoping to see them move on. No dice. I back out of view, turn, start running the way I came, then realize I’m running back into the mountains, and it was getting dark—“No dude! You have to turn around and face them right now!” I grab a good size stick and rock head back to the turn, crane my head to look, and there they are, ten feet away. I raise the branch, letting out a primal yell, and rush them. The smaller one takes off up the hillside into the brush, the bigger one jumps to a ledge just above the road—it wasn’t done with me. "You mother fucker! Get the fuck out of here!” I yell, throwing the rock. I reload, fire again, it dodges it. “Get the fuck out of here!" I threw a third, grazed it, and it disappeared into the brush. I start running with the branch and another rock. I’ve hiked my whole life, and it was always one of the biggest disappointments to me I’d never seen a mountain lion first-hand. Finally get to see a mountain lion, and not one but two! I learned a mom and cub will hunt together until the cub goes solo. They were both good-sized cats, guess I was almost a final meal for the two. For a few months every time I hiked I’d see mountain lions everywhere!