Hurricane Patricia, a storm of record-setting ferocity, proved no match for the Sierra Madre Occidental.<br />Confronted by the mountain range's high peaks, Patricia crumpled, rapidly shrinking from a Category 5 beast to a tropical depression as it limped eastward across Mexico, leaving behind a perfect beach day and a touch of swagger among those who chose not to evacuate.<br />"The mountains protect us," declared Patricia Puerner, 47, an American expatriate who lives in Puerto Vallarta and spent the day after the storm sunbathing at the beach.<br />There were no reports of deaths or injuries, Roberto Lpez Lara, interior secretary for the state of Jalisco, told the Associated Press.
