After the invigorating walk at Lake Junaluska, we drove the steep and crooked road to Cataloochee Valley, nestled in the far northeastern part of Great Smoky Mountains NP, hoping to get a glimpse of the elk that graze there in late afternoon; we were not disappointed. As we entered the Valley, we noted a car of two stopped along side one of the pastures, and sure enough, elk were observed in the woods. And then, a big bull stepped out of another section of woods and began grazing alone.After a short while, he laid down, and to our surprise began bugling. If you’ve ever heard one bugle, you know what a thrill it is. A few other elk joined him, and others were observed in a pasture about a half mile away. The big bull posed for photographs for all the stopper-bys, and while the gnats swarmed around him,, the flies ate on me!

Back at the motorhome, we watched British television before hitting the sack fairly early.