Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Pajarito Mountain - Storm Coming

Walked up Zero Road East today. Coming down, storm clouds were gathering to north but only produced a little thunder and a little rain. (Last Friday, walking on Camp May Road Trail, lots more rain, even hail.)

On the way down, spied a bull elk above me on a ski run. Too far away to take picture with my tiny point and shoot. He seemed to be cautiously enjoying the mountain but very aware of me because he took cover in the woods when I stopped to watch him. At first I thought he was a rock or bear or stump, until he moved!

At the back of the mountain, found a long stick - wood was fresh and bark all peeled off - nice enough to haul downhill. At home, sawed it in two. I now have a stout "bear stick" to whack any bear that ventures too near. Course, my golf umbrella also serves that purpose, plus I can open and close it, while holding it high overhead. Hopefully, I will look like a frightful, gigantic insect flexing my black carapace - up and down, up and down! Surely I will scare any bear away (and many a fellow hiker as well!)