I got chased by a cow

Hello Everyone,

When I started out on this adventure, one of the risks I had to plan for was attack by wildlife. I would be in remote areas, so I had to take account of the danger posed by bears, mountain lions, moose, and especially in my mind, rattlesnakes. I'll be honest, I did not see cows in the same category. They really snuck up on me. Well played, bovines. 

Yesterday, Arthur and I were making our way along one of the best trails in Crested Butte. It winds its way along the side of a mountain, climbing and descending through forests and meadows. The views were magnificent. However, like most of the open range here, there are grazing cattle who roam pretty much wherever they want. There's signs about what to do, which is mostly just leave them alone. I'm sure by now they are used to the site of cyclists.

What they either aren't used to, or are just not enamoured with, is the site of dogs. This would prove to be a bit of an issue. At first, I was worried Arthur was going to chase one, and I would have to try to calm down an angry rancher. The first part of that did happen, with Arthur briefly chasing a younger cow for a few yards. I wasn't impressed. 

But then we ran into some older cows, and they were in no mood to put up with any of Arthur's bullshit (pun intended). Along the path, we encountered what I assume was a mother and her calf, the former giving us the stare down. I got the distinct impression that my companion was not welcome on her turf. As we went by, I turned looked back to make sure Arthur stayed with me, but was alarmed to see this beast start after us. 

I know what you are thinking: how fast is a cow? In truth, they aren't that fast. But they are very big, and I was in no mood to argue. Couldn't we just accelerate and leave her behind? Well yes, but remember how I said this trail went up and down a mountain? Crested Butte is already pretty high above sea level, and this trail went up from there. And we were on a climb, so I was already huffing and puffing before we met Big Momma and her calf. 

So if you can picture the ridiculous scene of a slow speed chase on a mountain path, with me puffing hard, trying to accelerate up a hill, with Arthur in tow, tongue out panting, being chased by a huge brown cow trundling after us, you have a sense of my day. 

wes

Photos 

Here are a couple shots from my ride. The first is Arthur and I enjoying the view. The second is from early in the ride. You can see my truck in the bottom right to give you some perspective. The last is an example of cattle on the trails, though not the one that chased us.