One of the many wonderful things about following a wild river for days on end is the opportunity to track and trail our wild kin along the sandy shores and mud flats. While scouting the route for a backcountry trek in the Sespe wilderness, I followed the trail of a Mountain Lion for an entire afternoon. The “official trail” had washed away, so we humbly followed the lion’s lead.
This was the lion’s place. They knew it better than we ever could. They gracefully threaded through the challenging riverside terrain, slipping between boulders and behind thickets of trees to keep out of sight. While walking in the footsteps of this powerful, illusive and complex being, I found the illusion of anthropocentrism impossible to cling to.
I felt my own limitations and deep humility in the presence of a being that knows this land with total intimacy and can make a living so fully here. I encountered my fragility in the company of a mighty hunter who - fortunately - does not want me on the menu, but certainly could have me if they were so disposed.