My Cow Story

The day before I hiked into Silver City, I was on a particularly dry section of the trail. After hiking many miles since the last water source and believing that the above cattle tank was the last water source until Silver City, I reluctantly stopped to fill up. I needed 4 liters for the remainder of the afternoon, dinner, breakfast and the walk into Silver City. The water tank was full of algae and bugs, but what concerned me the most were the bees and wasps that were attracted to the water and congregated at the rim of the tank.

I was wearing running shorts and a t-shirt and was concerned about being stung while getting water. To improve my odds, I decided to put on my rain pants, rain jacket and mosquito head net. I was completely covered except my hands. There were plenty of cows in the area, but none were drinking at the tank. After putting on my protective clothing and moving to the tank, the cows began mooing and moving toward the tank...and me!

At first I was confused. But then I thought...they must think I am a cow! I was dressed in black rain pants, a black rain jacket, a dark green head net, and an off white hat. Maybe I looked like a cow and an unfamiliar one at that! The cows kept mooing and moving closer to the tank...there were 20 to 30 cows and they were all headed my way! A young calf was the first one to reach the tank and she seemed especially interested in me. I quickly finished filling my water bladders and moved away from the tank.

Besides being concerned about the cows, it was a warm afternoon, and I was sweating in my rain gear. By the time I peeled it off, I was covered in sweat and the dirt on my legs looked more like mud. I quickly moved away from the tank and the agitated cows.

There you have it! My best cow story!