First elk / deer trip this year.

Got home late last night after a very long day. Picked up Paul at 03:00 at his place in Edmonds. We drove for around four hours, which started to seem a little longer than it should of. I realized that I had missed my exit to Yakima when I saw the sign for the Ginko petrified forest in Vantage. I had driven 30 miles past the exit for Hwy 97 to Yakima. So after a quick U turn after crossing the Columbia river I sped back to Ellensburg and found the right direction. This detour put me back by an hour, so the sun was coming up by the time I made it back into the hunting grounds. Too bad to, from the sign on one of my favorite ridges I had just missed a herd of elk. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground and that helped tracking the animals. As we where on hour way out I could tell we where behind a group of deer and sure enough as I was huffing and puffing over a little knob on the ridge I looked up to see two muley does standing at around eighty yards away. They where staring right at me so I knew I had no chance. I watched hopelessly as they pogo'ed their way effortlessly up hill. The rest of the day was spent looking from spot to spot for any good hunting. I did find a lookout that sat on a 1000+ foot cliff looking west to Bumping lake and Mt. Rainier. This was one of the most breath taking views I have ever seen. We did find some new ground further east and found lots of good deer sign, I think I'll give it a try next week. In all the only Elk we saw was at the Oak creek wildlife refuge. A beautifully day in all and as I always say a bad day huntinn kicks ass over any day working.