The Bobcat

I had my choice of shaded spots to park my car so I chose a shadier one. But I feared as the morning lengthened, the shadows would shorten leaving my car and my after hike snack to bake in the sun. I nudged the car as close to the barrier as I dared. The day was already warm so I stripped off my legs of my pants and left the coat in the car adjusted my ball cap and left the parking lot.

A couple of days before while hiking the Point Tomales Trail, I chatted with a woman who had espoused the beauties of the trail out to Arch Rock. It was like walking through Middle Earth, she said. So green, so lush that she expected elves to walk out of the woods and greet her. Sounded marvelous and even though I had planned to hike the trail, I grew more excited to make the journey.

The trail at one point had been a road but had since been decommissioned. For most of the trip, the Beaver Valley trail is wide with a gradual incline to Divide Meadow and slowly descends down to the junction with the Arch Rock Trail.

It was at Divide Meadow where I saw it.

As I started my way down, I spied an odd shape next to the trail. It's shape similar to a sitting cat. Knowing Point Reyes has feral cats, I began a one-sided conversation with what I believed to be a cat.

It turned it's head towards me as I asked "Are yo a good kitty or are you a bad kitty?" Spying the tufts of hair on the tips of it's ears and a on its cheeks, I knew it was more than a mere cat. I was staring at a bobcat. My heart leapt.

I continued to talk to the beautiful feline as I slowly approached, crossing to the other side of the wide trail. Finally, it stood up and trotted into the tall grasses of the meadow showing me its short tail and large feet.

My head was spinning. A bobcat! I had seen a bobcat! And never took out my camera.

The rest of the trail was just as my previous acquaintance had described - lush greens that reminded me of home - to a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I easily sat on the overlook, my only company a bold sea gull who came to investigate me. I thought how lucky I was to have seen such a beautiful animal.

My way back seemed so uneventful. I got back to my car and thought I should report the sighting to the park. The ranger I spoke to was just as excited as I was about the incident.

Every now and then, something happens on the trail that makes me remember why I love being in the wilderness.