[pct-l] Bovine mystery

[Ron Graybill]

Yes indeed, the trail keeps sliding down those loose hillsides and new
trails are tramped out just above.  And hikers don't help when they decide
to shortcut straight down the hillside to avoid the switchbacks.  A
serious, sustained thunderstorm in that area would really compromise the
trail.  Fortunately, that is rare.  We noticed your good work along the
trail and were most grateful.


On Sun, Dec 1, 2013 at 11:59 AM, Jim Banks <jbanks4 at socal.rr.com> wrote:

> Ron, we did some trail maintenance on that section on November 23rd.  There
> are always cows in that area.  It is BLM land, but there is a grazing
> permit.  The cows do walk up and down the trail on their own and we spent a
> lot of time repairing damage they had done.  The soil in this area is very
> loose and we have a hard time keeping the soil from sloughing off onto the
> trail.  There is very little vegetation for the cows to eat so they have to
> keep on the move in search of food.  My personal opinion is that they have
> very much over grazed this area and the grazing permit should be eliminated
> or suspended for a period to allow for recovery.
>
> I-Beam
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Ron Graybill
> Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 11:40 AM
> To: pct-l
> Subject: [pct-l] Bovine mystery
>
> There are doubtless many places along the PCT where hikers encounter
> evidence that cows have shared the trail, but this instance thoroughly
> mystifies me.  We hiked yesterday from Cabazon (actually Interstate 10 at
> Mile 209.5) up to the Whitewater Preserve (Mile 218.7).  We had scarcely
> left the neighborhoods along the freeway when we began to notice hoof
> prints
> and cow pies along the trail (just before the Mesa Wind Farm).  The
> evidence
> suggested several cows had been walking along the trail, and the freshness
> of the evidence showed this had happened in the past couple of weeks.
> Incredibly, this interpid bovines continued up and over the summit of the
> box canyon at Mile 215.2 and down through the switchbacks on the steep,
> steep canyon wall northward of that point.  I know cows are stupid
> creatures, but I can't imagine they would wander up this trail on their own
> in search of food or water.  So there must have been a herdsman driving
> them.  But why?  They were headed northbound, so they couldn't have been
> heading for a slaughterhouse.  This area is completely and utterly devoid
> of
> any green grass or other nourishment for cows, and bone dry the whole 9
> miles (we didn't even see lizards).  So why were cows heading northbound
> along this stretch of trail?
> Ron "Slo Charger" Graybill
> P.S. Hoping to hike with the Trail Geezers northward from Warner Springs in
> a couple of weeks. Just skipped ahead to this piece near Cabazon because we
> wanted to also visit friends out there.
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-- 
Ronald D. Graybill
Riverside, CA 92505
909-910-9339
rgraybill44 at gmail.com