Bobcats, Elk and Shy Groundhogs

Today we took 441 over the mountains to Oconalufte to see the beautiful color one more time.  We were excited to see a bobcat and her kitten along the road in Wears Valley.  The color was quite a bit further along than our last trip, with many of the yellows already fading.  Overcast skies would have helped a bit but even with the bright light the fall foilage was breathtaking.  The elk were out at Oconalufte!  The dominant bull, a 6X6, stayed near the trees with his harem but the less fortunate bulls were nearer and in an open field.  We stood near a friendly ranger and were able to take some pretty decent photos.  The groundhogs were camera shy.  One popped up for a bit but as soon as we had the cameras out he disappeared.  A beautiful and thoroughly relaxing day.