A road less traveled

Part 1 of 2.

I went on a short scouting expedition for elk this week. My destination was a series of natural meadows located deep in the fir and spruce forests below the Salish and Whitefish Mountain ranges. Typically, I would have a bow in my hand in that it is bow season. As it turns out, I regret no being able to bow hunt this year, in that I did jump up about eight elk on the fringe of a small meadow, but couldn't get a picture. I may have found elk, but I also managed to get myself virtually lost. Even with the aid of my GPS, I was forced to come out a couple of miles away from my truck. I guess I needed the exercise...and a few extra ounces of blood withdrawn for the mosquitoes that were prevalent in this area.

Here are a couple of photos I took along the way.

This was exactly the type of terrain that I was looking for. There are about two dozen of these little openings scattered amoungst this rather dense and annoying forest. In places, you have to walk a half a mile around a spot just to move a couple hundred yards forward. It was thick!

Something Different...Something Fungusish

This was a very interesting find. This rotten cottonwood log harbored a forest of its own. It was interesting watching minute insects navigate the forest of tree like fungi, moss and lichen. I would have taken more photos...except the mosquitoes were carting off my blood by the gallon.

A small swamp in the timber. About a thousand or more years ago, most of these little openings were nothing more than small holes in the earth filled with water. From a birds eye view, the sheer glacial power exhibited in eons past is awe inspiring. Now, all the channels and cracks have naturally filled in and what were once lakes and ponds, are now meadows. In a few hundred more years, these openings will be swallowed by the forest. (If left to nature)

A road less traveled. I knew this road was here, but my goal was to stay inland and do all my walking across country. After missing my target route out, I was forced to head overland away from my truck for this road. It was getting a bit late in the day and the last thing I wanted was to fight strange territory in the dark. The mosquitoes would have decimated me had I been forced to sleep in the bushes.

A pesky Grey Jay. Not the greatest of photos. I was in motion while shooting. I tried many times to get a photo of her and her annoying mate in flight. They drifted and cackled along with me for almost half a mile. I was tired and I am sure that the dozens of squished mosquitos on my arms and face made me look like a bloody, walking corpse...but I wasn't far enough gone to provide these hopeful scavengers a free meal.

Twas a good hike. Now if I could only find those meadows again. Even with the aid of a GPS, I had a heck of a time getting anywhere or knowing where anywhere was.