Elk in Sproul State Forest

My husband and I decided to spend the afternoon hiking in Sproul State Forest. We walked down to an abandoned cabin we have been visiting for 30 years or more, only to find it crumbling, the chimney fallen, the trees growing tall inside the foundation. Know this: in the big woods, time quickly wipes away the signs of man.

Then we chose a second path, and we hiked into a little field where we would set up our chairs for a break. I spotted a dark creature at the edge of the field and we instantly identified it as an elk. It was on the small side, for an elk. My best guess is that it was a female or a juvenile.

The elk (and let me emphasize THE - there was just the one!) grazed quietly under some trees for about a half-hour, then slowly walked back the trail from whence it had come. I was able to get many photos, including the shot above, of the elk lifting its head toward the afternoon sun.

It's always fun to go to the woods. But what a thrill to turn a corner and see such a wild creature! So let's let the song be this one: the Troggs, with Wild Thing.