Cautious Crossing

At dawn on the morning of September 28, 2023, I hiked through tall sagebrush, a stand of trees and down a steep embankment to get to the edge of the Snake River in hopes of capturing an animal crossing. Just after sunrise, a cow elk stepped out of the brush and onto the bank of the river, with a brief pause and quick look around, she cautiously started her crossing through the steaming river to join her heard on the other side.