The Dark Timber

This is what you would call Dark Timber. It's where the lodgepole pines grow so thick that they block out the sun and trees fall onto each other so tangled that in some cases you could walk around on fallen logs and be 3 or 4 feet above ground. This is just a mild case of it. The dark timber is also where elk go when it's too warm and a place you should only go when you have a compass or GPS. Sunday afternoon, 11-2-2008, I walked around this area, staying towards the edge I could still see across the drainage and keep my bearings. Again, I saw nothing during this walkabout, but the main purpose of this afternoon was to find a place to sit before sunset and know where to be come morning. And the next day, not to do all the climbing I'd done for the past three mornings, would be a relief.