A walk in the big, deep, woods

The mule deer came up the trail like it owned it, which, it probably did. I mean, I hike the trail maybe once a year and this deer, a doe, probably walked it every day, several times a day.

She had a sunk-in pelvis, the clear sign of childbirth in a deer, and probably had a fawn hidden in the woods somewhere.

I’ve come upon a mule deer fawn bedded down alone once in my life. It wasn’t in these woods and it was quite awhile ago. Curled up, it was tiny, spotted and quiet. 

These woods, in a word, are gigantic. Virtually every tree is older than you. Many have seen the beginning of the country, and I dare say, more than a few will witness the end.

They’re cedars and hemlocks and every once in awhile, a massive larch. The hemlocks aren’t quite as big as the cedars, and seem to be in worse shape. Some of them look like they exploded, which isn’t too far from what actually happened. A few years ago we had a storm in November where it was warm and then plummeted below zero. The wind blew, the sap froze and the trees shattered.

It was, in a word, a spectacle. What a way to die.

This is a quiet woods, despite its proximity to the road. Very few folks hike this section of trail, for whatever reason. Most people want to go to a lake or see a mountain or a waterfall. They’re not much interested in wandering through a big old woods. There’s more muley tracks than anything in the trail.

I come here at least a couple of times a year. There’s more to see than one might imagine. I’ve photographed owls and bears here, seen trees riddled with the clawmarks of lions and other cats.

While there is life on the ground, most of what goes on is 150 feet or more overhead. To get a good perspective I like to lay on the ground and look up. Somewhere above a varied thrush calls one long note, or a Townsend’s warbler trills its territorial song.

The hike takes longer than expected. A good three hours. And then there is sun on my face and traffic. Lots and lots of traffic.

On the drive home I turn on the radio. The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting pounded into submission by Golden State Warriors.

Old LeBron might need a walk in the woods after that one.