Eight pairs of eyes study us.
Two pairs of eyes scan the ground, lock on green things to munch.
Ten deer stand in a meadow near Nine Mile Picnic Ground.
They feed. They walk a slow circle around an island of trees. They watch two upright masked creatures watch them.
Ten minutes pass.
The deer walk away, into the spruce and locust and aster.
The humans walk away, thinking of the deer.
Hike length: 5.8 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Trail traffic: light
Wildlife spotted/heard: deer, flycatchers, grasshoppers, butterflies, mouse, chipmunks, Abert’s squirrel, crows, raven, brown creeper, mountain chickadees
Woman Seeks Elevation 