[pct-l] Trail Magic

[Matthew Edwards]

I have a fun one.
Northern California just before Etna.
I had been walkimg with Indy that morning and we thought we were just about
to the road and could share a hitch to town for resupply.
Walking and talking, I recall Indy was one of the few hikers that wore
actual boots.
Through the beautiful dappled early sunlight we went until we turned a
corner in the trail..
There she was; dread locked hair, baby wrapped up in a sling across her
bare chest and nursing, some type of animal skin skirt, barefoot and
backlit by the rays of the sun... surrounded by 19 goats, 18 of which had
doggie type backpacks on.
I turned to Indy and said; "My God, we've come so far.. IT'S MOTHER NATURE!"
To which we all began to laugh.
Her husband appeared from the brush and we began introductions.
The little family would leave the Black Bear commune every summer and walk
with their goats until it got to cool at night and they would return home.
They made 6 miles a day.
They milked the goats and consumed the milk along with a goat on occasion
which they roasted when friends joined them on trail.
Indy and I were given a stainless pitcher of fresh warm goat milk to drink.
Only wished i'd had some rice crispies to share.
We were unacustomed to milk.. right out of a goat, but had a sip each and
thanked them.
Before we left them, we asked why one goat didn't have a backpack.
"That one likes to swim.. we'll eat him next".
That ranks up there as one of the more astonishing and magical encounters
of the PCT for me.