These ladies were grazing on a hillside about half a mile away from where I was. The sky was overcast, preparing for the snow that would fall overnight. I’d been shooting along the Blue River, outside Silverthorne, Colorado. Glancing up, I saw these tiny, odd, kind of balloon looking things way up the side of another mountain. Bringing my camera up, I could see that they were the hind ends of these beautiful elk. Without a tripod, I scrambled to find ways to steady myself. I knelt on a boulder (pictured later), and leaned up against various trees, pushed my lens all the way out, and started clicking. Of the twenty or so shots that I took, only a few turned out at all well. To be honest, I’m surprised that I could reach out that far with that little SX40HS. I was also a little disappointed that the bull never showed up. That would have been nice.

This big ol’ toppled pine tree was the first thing that greeted me, as I clambered down the hill. They always fascinate me. I have seen some that continued to grow, sending new branches high into the air, like individual trees.

It must have been Bone Day, because I happened onto several skeletons. Most were small animals. Probably deer. One, though…I have no idea what it was. All I can say is, it was large. That’s a size 9 1/2 shoe.

Here are a few miscellaneous shots, from around the same area.

Finally, here’s a shot of the Stew Wagon through the trees, and a couple of views that are closer to where I sleep. You can see why I’m digging this assignment.

Thanks for following VagabondStew. Enjoy the life you’re living.