19th Jan.

Taking it easy today, not many miles. 

State park campground - met a family on holiday from Sacramento, friendly, intrigued by my bike trip, and they insisted that I take some quarters for the showers.  I wasn't even looking that grubby!  I think I was a bit of novelty with my paper maps and tiny tent.  They had beef cattle, usually about a dozen, but only two at the moment.  They said when the water got too low to keep them, they'd be butchered, to sell, and for their freezer.  Fattened on grass and proud of it, producing yellow fat, rather than the beef industry technique of fattening on corn, which produces a different type of white fat, and digestive problems for the cow.  Interesting to hear this from someone in the US, who rears their own cows for meat.  Michael Pollan has written a lot about this in 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' - great book. 

It's getting down to just a few degrees above freezing at night.  Cold on the fingers packing away the tent in the shade every morning - lots of condensation too.