Aug 10th
Cub Bear Spring(1614)-Buckhorn Spring(1641)
Today’s Mileage: 27mi

Whew, I am worn out! We planned a 27mi day today. We had to do it because we will be walking through Seiad Valley tomorrow and everyone, but me, needs to get there in time to get a package at the PO. I am excited to go there and recharge my phone. Anyway, we planned a 27mi day through the Marble Mtns. Not smart! It was very tiring for all of us and the day really dragged. I have a fresh pack filled with food for 5 more days to Ashland, so the weight just added to the exhaustion. I can’t wait to zero at the end of this leg! My last zero was on day 85 (about 500 miles ago) and I’ve hiked some kind of miles everyday since then. It was pretty today, but the trail had lots of steep rocky ups that went on forever. The good news was that there were only a few mounds of snow and not the scary traverse that we’d been hearing about for weeks.

I could see enjoying it more if our day wasn’t so long. It was made even longer by cows in the trail.

Four of them got spooked when we came through a saddle and they started running down the trail. The problem was that there was nowhere for them to go because the trail was on a steep slope. We were stuck behind them and their droppings for a good 30mins.

They were getting tired and moving pretty slow. Finally, we reached an area where we could climb up off the trial. Red Blaze ran ahead and cut in front of them so they would turn around and return to the original saddle. Quite an ordeal this morning. Here are some pics of the trail today.

I’ve decided I’m too tired to write much tonight, so I got a quote from everyone in our group on how their day went…

Red Blaze: “Today, was almost as fun as herding cows. Oh wait, we did herd cows!”

Half Fast: “We enjoyed the companionship of bovine thru hikers. We saw beautiful waterfalls, ridge lines, and rocky cliffs.”

Liz: “My feet are swollen and my bellybutton has itched all day!”

Funyan: “Today I had my second best view while taking a shit.”

Meow Meow: “Today, even though it was hard, I did find the plant that was the inspiration for Star Trek’s, “The Trouble With Tribbles.”

Also, I got to make a little snowman because I’ve decided that the way I will deal with snow the rest of the trip is by yelling, “Bullshit!” and then making a little snowman.”

One more thing, by the time this gets posted, it will be my friend, Greg’s, birthday. I attempted a jumping photo for you tonight, but it was just a blur on the iPhone. Had to settle with this one for ya, but the thought was there! Happy Birthday Greg!