Elk Track Adventure, Snoqualmie National Forest

When I arrived at my destination in Snoqualmie National Forest, for a solo backpacking trip to take place from March 22nd-24th, 2011, conditions were less than ideal. The trail-less mountain valley I had planned my hike for was blocked by a large tract of private lands that had not been readily identifiable on local topos. On top of that, it was a cool 40 degrees and rain was constant.

Upon arriving, I quickly checked my map and rerouted to the nearby Green River (6.5 mi immediately West of Crystal Mt. Ski Resort). I enjoyed the solitude of a cool, snow-covered (albeit wet) forested landscape for the next few days. As a national forest, Snoqualmie is utilized for lumber harvesting, so many of the evergreen trees nearest the road were secondary growth (trunk diameters were often a foot or two), though the further I got into the forest I began to notice more and more old growth. Some of these had trunk diameters of six feet or more!

My camp was made nestled within the confines of a small, old growth-laden island that I found after crossing fallen trees afloat on the Green River. I snowshoed as my main mode of transportation over two feet of snow on the ground in most places. At the center of the island the ground was quite clear, sheltered from the weather by about six or seven old growths. I thought to myself this would be a great place to make camp, and realized that I wasn't the first creature to have this idea. Littering the ground around me were 30, or so, individual piles of elk scat, each comprised of about 30 pellets. Some clearly fresh and deposited no earlier than that morning.

With the presence of local elk herds in mind, I stayed on the outskirts of the island and made my presence minimal. The tracks these animals made were a solid six inches in length, and broken branches around the island (from their movements) were sometimes at my head level (about six feet), implying an immense presence of some 500+ lb individuals. It was in my best interest to avoid confrontation. Though unfortunately, I was unable to view any elk directly, even at a distance.

All of the animal sign in the area was invigorating to see; signs of life, though indirect, are still often unseen by the average Joe. I did have a mostly (again, it was raining continuously) pleasant time, and was even able to enjoy a fresh cup of hand-picked, fire-brewed, evergreen needle tea! Mmm mmm good!

Jeremy R.