Payette Rim Trail 6/27/2011

Been trying to figure out the "official" PRT since moving to McCall.  I think we got it down after today.  We spent an hour or so off-route and bushwacking in the snow.  It was fun and added spice and adventure.

Elk calf left behind by its mother. 

Two hours later and the calf is still there.  I called the wildlife sanctuary to see if they would take it in.  They told me that a mother elk will leave its calves for up to 4 hours while she feeds in the higher meadows, before returning to nurse the calf.  Calves have 2 special adaptations for this survival strategy: they have spots to stay hidden and they are scentless to predators.  I returned the next day and the calf was gone and fresh tracks of mother and baby disappeared up the hill.  Whew!

The gorgeous views of the PRT.

Lake Tahoe???  Nope, it's Payette Lake in McCall.

A little offroute here, we picked up a snowmobile trail and looped back around to join the PRT.

BRB on nicely packed snowmobile crust.  Still 2-3 feet deep at 6500' altitude.