22 miles first along the Los Gatos Creek Trail, over nine miles of opportunities for walkers, cyclists, jobbers, and you name it (even saw a unicycle) to huff and puff. There were hundreds, maybe more. Then came the uphill part crossing over the Santa Cruz Mountains, part of our coastal range. I huffed and puffed up 2200 ft--grueling but amazingly beautiful scenery. After 12 hours on the road, I got permission from some tenants on a Christmas tree farm to pitch my tent. It was a balmy, starry , and full-moon lit night near 12-foot tall trees ready to adorn some spacious living rooms--it was magical. Although mountain lions share this habitat with humans, none came to visit. My last line of defense was a high-powered night light I intended to move quickly from side to side and make lots of noise--surely that would have so confused the animal, it would have gone after a less confounding meal!
