Cotton-candy smoke from the Henry Coe brush fire at sunset in central San José.

I stop on Monterey Road near Tully Road in south-central San José for a last glimpse of the Henry Coe brush fire before my trip officially ends.

About four miles later, it's getting dark, I'm home, I'm tired, I'm happy and I'm noticing how much bigger my house is than my tent; even the bedroom feels big. I don't think I've ever went so long (nine days) without a hot shower.

Besides photos, another souvenir I'll carry for a while is sore ribs (I try not to cough deeply or sneeze) and a couple of big bruises from my crash on Orestimba Creek Road a few days ago.

I feel satisfied that I've really accomplished something on this trip, but I'm not quite sure what that is. I know the trip was successful because I find myself thinking of places that I didn't get to explore, giving me reasons to go back already.

The Henry Coe State Park brush fire will continue to burn for over a week, and it will transform more than half of the park, including several areas where I just travelled and camped.

It will be interesting to see the new growth in the area once the wet winter weather sets in. Until next time...