Mountain Bike Cowboy
I am very lucky to be a poor mountain biker. Maybe a bit of explanation is needed. I've plotted a winding loop through Round Valley's many trails and ride and run the loop on a regular basis. One day I was rolling along and very nearly missed hitting a large, steamy cow patty. Had I been a faster biker I would have plowed right through the mess! A few minutes later I spotted the depositor of said patty - actually there were a dozen or so cows ambling through the brush. My first thought was, "Why are there cows here? Isn't this supposed to be protected open space?" My second thought was, "Them there are breacher cows - gotta round 'em up" as my father-in-law up in Wyoming would put it. I have to say, the thought of wrangling up some cattle on my mountain bike was quite exciting, but instead, I decided to take out my cell phone and call Summit County Animal Control.
For sure I have an affinity for cows. I like eating steaks, burgers, ribs, and roasts. I wear leather shoes, belts, jackets, and gloves. Once I even stayed in a rustic hotel with a big cow skin rug in front of the fireplace. In fact, there's nothing better than a longhorn hood ornament. However, I've seen what grazing cattle can do to fragile natural vegetation which is why I was concerned to see the cows in Round Valley. The Tule Elk preserve in Point Reyes, just north of San Francisco, is a good example. The fenced preserve is located on the north end of the peninsula with cattle grazing just to the south of the fence line. The difference in vegetation between the two sides of the fence is an eye-opener with lush green grass to the north and brown scrub to the south of the fence.
I imagine the blame as to why cows were in Round Valley that afternoon is complicated and could be applied to all sides thicker than those messy cow 
patties! I do hope the problem won't reoccur - I'll be keeping an eye out for open gates and downed fences. By this time next year, I should be a much better biker, so if the accidental 'guests' reappear, I'll be capable of bunny-hopping my bike over the cow pies without missing a beat!
Sebe Ziesler is a Park City based freelance writer.
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Reader Comments:
Seb could have included a statement of fact concerning the fertilization value of cow pies. He knows, I'm sure, that if a person steps into a cow pie with one foot, the fertilized foot will grow much larger than the other. You may question the veracity of this statement. Question no more, it comes straight from the archives of Seb's story telling grandfather.
There's another good reason to have cow pies on hand...they help with sunburned lips. Rub a little bit on - it won't actually cure the sunburn but should keep you from licking your lips.
I think the cow pies serve another good function. In the event you get lost on the bike trail, you can always follow the cow pie trail back to the farmer's barn. Did not Hansel and Gretal follow bread crumbs when they got lost?