LaCrosse Basin,  Olympic National Park,  Aug 12, 2002 - Aug 16, 2002     page 6 / 19

As we finished our dinner and stood in awe of the view from our camp, we spotted a herd of elk. I called Tom over to see them. He counted 39 in the herd! We watched them meander up and down the meadows, on and off the snowfields for 20 or 30 minutes! A group of 9 (4 calves) headed down the hill to eat grass from the shallow end of the lake. Shortly afterward, the ten-point buck who led the group spotted us and began to move the herd away. The smaller group found themselves abandoned and called for a few minutes with a short squeaking sound to locate the others. Getting no response they decided to backtrack up the hill where they'd previously separated. Eventually they caught up with the others and were led down the valley. What a great treat to see these amazing animals! The last time I saw a display like this was at Dodger Point with my Dad in 1990.