Moo Morning

Somewhere in the Malheur National Forest near Riley, OR

Day 34, June 20, 2025

Miles traveled: 5,661

Heading across Oregon to get to Grand Teton National Park, we began to look for a campsite near dark. No campgrounds or motels were anywhere around. Those luxuries were many miles away. So, we drove a few miles down a National Forest road and found a nice place to park the van and sleep. Very isolated. There were a couple of houses in the distance. Ranch houses. But nothing else.

Mostly, as far as we could see, there were just mountains and sagebrush with few trees. A great big, western landscape and we were alone in it.

We parked under a magnificent Western Juniper.

The stars came out not long after we set up a rudimentary camp. We both woke in the middle of the night and stepped outside the van. We looked up and the universe was on display, including the giant smudge of the Milky Way.

There was a small concern for bears or worse but everything was very peaceful. After a good night’s rest, here’s what we woke up to the next morning:

A very curious mama cow!

She brought her baby and a friend who had a baby too. I guess we were a novelty on their vast grazing area. When we opened a door, they turned to leave, probably discussing the nerve of us, invading their territory. But they were very sweet.

Jane

(Written at Lake Maloney State Park, North Platte, Nebraska)