I Almost Die (Again)

Well, I’ve been shot at, hit by a truck, and now almost eaten. I probably had the scariest night of my life, and I’ve through plenty of bad neighborhoods after midnight.

After bathing at Esalen, I biked about a mile down the road looking for somewhere to camp. It was 3:30 in the morning, and I was exhausted. I finally found the perfect place. There was a fence protecting what might have been a nature preserve about 20 feet from the road. The driveway leading to it looked like it hadn’t be used in weeks, and there was a very small hill between the fence and the road that made it almost invisible to passersby. Best of yet, the ground was covered in pine needles, which make a lovely bed.

So I slept there, without a tent, nestled in my sleeping bag between the fence and the hill, under a blanket of stars.

But I didn’t sleep long. As the sun was dawning, I opened my eyes slightly. Then widely. I was frozen in place.

It was a mountain lion. Ten feet away, sitting on top of the hill, silhouetted by the sun. When I opened my eyes, it put its head down in a crouch position and just stared at me.

I was horrified. I couldn’t get out of the sleeping bag, even if I wanted to. I was trapped. I thought of what you’re supposed to do with a bear – make yourself look big. So I wiggled my feet a little, so the lion knew there was more to me than just a face, and pulled the bag tautly over my head.

I waited for a car to pass by, sweating in my smelly, hot bag, totally defenseless. Suffocation was slightly better better than being eaten. Finally, after at least 30 minutes, a car passed, and when I looked, the lion was gone.

I live on for another day of biking. And, oh, the views!