Eleven Bull Basin,  Olympic National Park,  Sep 10, 2012 - Sep 14, 2012     page 38 / 57

The evening was pleasant. The temperature was mild, much more than it had been for my first night out. I watched the light on the hills change as the sun set. I heard the subtle squeak of an animal. Earlier in the afternoon I spotted a grouse near my campsite. I rose to see if that was the same animal. I located the grouse, but determined that what I was hearing was a chick. It was a whole family of grouse: one chick and two parents, leading her to safety. It was fun to watch them walk through the low foliage, in their camouflaged plumage.