Blue Sailboat

I did a hike to DCHS today, hiking in by way of the Freedom Trail and at the upper end of this trail, down the hill from the parking area in the small canyon there now sits a smallish ( maybe about 10 to 12 foot long ) fiberglass sailboat. Since it is so far from the nearest road and sitting right next to the trail it strikes me as if perhaps some fools might have intended on trying to carry it down to the creek at the springs, maybe to try and use to cross the cold water. It just doesn't seem likely that if someone was just dumping it that they would have dragged the boat that far from the road down in that canyon. I'm going to call the USFS about it and maybe they can get it out of there in case the nemrods who dragged it there are intent on trying to get it to Deep Creek.

There is a vehicle still hanging on a rock outcrop at the top of the canyon about a mile southwest of where the boat is that some idiots a few years back pushed over the side off a road in that area and fortunately it didn't tumble all the way down into the bottom of the Deep Creek canyon. If you know where to look you can see the vehicle from the Bowen Ranch Trail down at the split at the top of Mo Fo Hill.

Aside from that, it was a very nice hike today in pleasant temps and light breezes. Saw a couple of friends Robert and Jason at the springs. If you cross at an angle just downstream from the beach the creek was only about waist high. Chilly but not too bad. There were about 4-5 clothing optional folks including myself, and around the same textiles.

When I was getting close to my vehicle on the hike out I came across a large group of cattle ( may 40 or so ) and when I passed them they started to follow me. They kept getting closer and closer and I was a bit worried about the bulls in the group possibly charging me since they were showing some agitation and boldness. I felt like the pied piper of cows as they followed me up a little canyon. I opened my umbrella and that backed them up briefly but then they began again getting even closer. When I reached my truck they came up real close, nuzzling the front of my truck and surrounded me on the passenger side. My dogs were visibly scared so I got them quickly into the shell of my vehicle. Then since they were getting to close for comfort for me I honked my horn which gave them a scare briefly again. Then they further encroached getting around 10 feet from me in a big group, seeming to egg eachother closer. I got in my truck quickly and by this time they were all around the truck. I thought once I started driving they would just go on their way but no, they started running after my vehicle. The section of road I was driving was a bit rough so I had to go slow for a ways and the cattle were chasing after me and then started what was like a mini stampede around both sides of my truck up ahead and across my path with some of them kicking up in the air with thier back legs. They ran on up aways in front of me to an open area then stopped. I finally got to a better section of road and went around them and picked up enough speed to get beyond them. For a while when they were in their little stampede I was worried about one of those cows running into my truck. I'm pretty sure the cattle are not even supposed to be in that area. The BLM told me a while back that the Round Mtn grazing allotment is supposed to end at the end of March. These cows weren't anywhere near Round Mtn. I've never run into a group that big before. I'm going to let the USFS and BLM know about the incident.