Back on the trail today! We are so excited to be hiking again after such a tough decision to flip. The longer we go after the decision, the better I feel about it.
We woke up in the campground around 7 and sorted through our supplies to see what we needed to get in Ashland. Our next plan stop was Etna, about 100 miles away so we thought we needed roughly 4-6 days of food. I planned on doing a light 5 with a backup dinner. We weren’t confident that we could do big miles because we heard there was potentially a decent amount of snow still hanging around in the next stretch.
We finished packing everything up and the four of us hit the road. We hit up the grocery store and then split up because Sherpa and I had more chores to do. First we went to the UPS store and shipped all but our essential winter gear back, including our ice axes. We kept our microspikes and I kept my glove liners but everything else went back. Next we went to the post office and Sherpa bounced a package ahead.
With our chores finished we went to find Yote and 2.Toe. We parked our car in front of a music shop and we heard lovely flute music coming out of it. When we entered we realized it was Yote! Belting out some sweet licks on a wooden flute. Classic Yote, always with the surprises.
The music shop was amazing and the staff were so welcoming. They were very eager to let you try the instruments and they had a lot of beautiful, unique pieces. We stayed there for a few minutes and then hit the road to return the rental car.
We dropped off the car at the Medford airport and then walked to the main road nearby to hitch to the trailhead. Within just a few minutes a guy pulled over and offered us a ride to Ashland. We hopped in and he took off. He told us his name was Jason and it was his first time picking up hitchhikers. He works for a audio book producer in Ashland and recommended A Boy With A Coocoo Clock Heart. He said it was a classic and shouldn’t be missed.
He dropped us off at the Ashland exit and we started our second hitch. Soon we were picked up by a Trail Angel named Colin. He said he loved hikers and was always finding ways to help when he could and knew right where to drop us off.
He took our picture at the trailhead and we said goodbye then hit the trail. It was so gorgeous and green. It reminds me of hiking on the east coast and it felt great to be in trees and not desert.
There was nothing too exceptional to report on the hike since it was only about 11 miles and mostly in trees except that it was lovely and over quickly. When we arrived at our goal our way was blocked by a heard of cattle. There were a couple bulls right in our path that seemed determined not to move so we went around. Sherpa is terrified of cows because she was chased by one on the AT. We got around without any issues. Later however, after 2.Toe and Yote showed up, I saw what looked like a mountain lion attacking a bull. Then I saw the bull charge the animal. Yote said it was a dog and then I realized he was right. Everything looks like a mountain lion to me out here. The cattle gathered in a group and charged the dog. Yote saw the bull lift it into the air with its horns. We were really unsure what to do, if anything until we heard the dogs owner yelling “Trigger leave it.” We saw that he was a hiker and I felt I had to do something to help so I started heading towards the chaos and Yote was right behind me. I am not sure what I was going to do, maybe attempt my hearding skills, of which I have none. Luckily the hiker was able to separate his dog and he hiked on.
It was a pretty terrifying seen for the dog and I am sure it needed medical attention. There was a truck nearby that took off a few minutes later so maybe it helped the hiker. We will never know what happened to Trigger.
We, however, went to bed and slept like little hiker babies.
