The Cow Gang 🐮

May 11, 2023

Mile 708.6-699.5 (backtracked 9.1 miles back to South Rim)

Our plan to leave early to beat the heat didn’t quite happen as we slept in and then took our time at camp. I wrote in my journal some at the picnic table and we mixed a big coffee/cappachino mix and drank it for a nice caffeine buzz. We finally packed up and hiked out on Bright Angel Trail.

It was beautiful and green and grassy and completely opposite of the South Kaibab which is the route we took down and the route the AZT follows. We took a long break at Havasupai Grdens Campground, drank some water from the pump while chatting with other hikers.

Then had a 4.5 mile climb to the rim. It was hot and it wore me out, it’s been quite awhile now since we’ve had a big climb. Once back on top we took the bus to the store and got some food. The bus was packed with tourists and I know we must have smelled awful but I couldn’t bring myself to care lol.

Eagle and Voodoo showed up and we hung out with them and two other AZT hikers named Feral and Sign Tap. After awhile we headed over to the campground to find a spot to set up. I showered before we headed back over to the tavern to get dinner and hang out with everyone.

Eagle, Voodoo, Henry and I could not stop talking about cows to the point where I believe we might have been delirious. It became hysterically funny how every conversation of ours would lead back to a cow (look at this huge cow we saw, cows are fucking scary, what the difference is between bulls/steers/heifers). People sitting at a table nearby ended up picking up their food and moving far away from us which made us laugh even harder. May tonight be remembered as the night the Cow Gang was formed.