This Is It
“I was walking with my son and dog along a trail and ventured into a narrow tunnel. My son stopped and said what was that? At first, in the dim light, I thought it was the silhouette of a bolder, but then my dog started to growl. Then I thought it was a dog because it moved, and I saw what looked like a head-turning. As it turned, I saw the unmistakable round end of a mountain lion’s tail …
… I knew running could trigger its prey instinct, but I wanted my kid and dog out of there, so I told my son to grab the dog by the collar and move away quickly. As my kid was pulling the dog away, it took a step toward me and I thought, “this is it.” I squared my shoulders to it and started backing away and hitting the sides of the tunnel and yelling at it. It seemed undecided on what to do, stepping back and forth, sometimes moving forward, but then I was out of the tunnel and getting the hell out of there.”