July 31st, 2016
Miles Hiked: 25
Start Location: Mile 1566
End Location: Mile 1591
End Location GPS: 41.34351, -122.95945
There were a lot of short ups and downs today. There were also a lot of cows. And cow bells. Lots of cow bells. At first we thought the bushes had wind chimes in them but then we startled a herd of cows and they stampeded away, dust billowing in the hot air as the earth tremored and the cow bells clanked and clinked.
These are happy cows up here. They get to roam the mountainside and eat the fresh hillside grass and drink out of the most pristine springs and creeks and lakes. It’s a shame they have to listen to cow bells clammoring non stop. We wondered if they ever get sick of listening to the bells. They must. Perhaps this was how Mad Cow disease was started. They all went mad and crazy having to listen to the wind chime symphony non stop. Maybe the cows have conversations with each other, like, “Hey Bob can you just sit still for a minute we’re trying to sleep ova heya.”
“I had a bad itch, Carlyle, I had ta scratch it- jeeze – sowry.”
The cows are from Brooklyn by the way.
Had a nice campfire at Paynes lake tonight where we are camped and chatted with the weekend hikers that built it. Six miles into Etna tommorrow for some town food, grocery shopping, laundry and showers. Then it’s back to the trail. Oregon is so close!
