Black Hole Falls - North Siouxon Creek

11.5 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •

North Siouxon Creek seemed like a perfect rainy day hike to shake off 9 straight days at work. Still suffering from the lingering effects of an annoying cold, I was looking for a place not too steep and not too long. Eventually, I plan to figure out a loop option connecting this trail with the Huffman Peak trail but I wasn't feeling it today.

About 2.5 miles down the trail, I thought I heard some brush crash but after a brief stop and look, I moved on. Suddenly, a very large, mature cow elk stood up at the edge of the trail and stared in my direction. I slowly reached into my pack to get the camera when she took a step forward only to collapse on her rear flank. After struggling to regain her feet, she took another step only to have her rear legs give out a second time. On her feet again, she pitched forward, out of sight below the trail and behind a large tree. At this point, I started wondering if I'd just interrupted a lion attack. I kept my eyes open as I crept cautiously up to the point where she disappeared. She hadn't gone anywhere, though, and was lying there unable to get up -- or even attempt to. She appeared to be on the verge of dying so I snapped a couple pictures and moved away, not wanted to stress her any further. In a few hours, I'd have to return and I planned to look for signs of a struggle. I half expected to return to find a dead elk and possibly an annoyed predator aggravated with my constant interference.

Another mile or so down the trail, an owl hooted from deep in the woods. A second owl hooted further up on the hillside. I got the camera out and hooted back (an old turkey hunter trick). Within seconds, one owl, then the other, sailed down the hillside and landed in the canopy 100' above. I snapped a couple marginal pics with a 200mm lens then moved on toward the falls listening to those owls calling the whole time until I walked out of earshot.

Continuing on, I ate lunch at the falls, took a few pics, and headed further up the trail another half mile or so, past the worn out lean to, until I reached the dilapidated foot bridge that crosses one of the forks coming off Mitchell Peak. I was running out of time so this seemed like a good place to turn around. The pics don't make it obvious but that bridge reaches 12-14 feet above the ground at the far end.

As I got closer to the spot where the elk had been, I slowed way down and got the camera ready. Three hours had passed and I wasn't sure what to expect. Despite my caution, though, when I got to the spot she was on her feet and looking at me. As soon as I made eye contact, she took a few quick steps and disappeared into some vine maples. I kept moving as I had concerns she would panic and head further down hill, eventually ending up in the creek bed unable to climb back uphill. I really have no idea what was wrong with the elk. She didn't look emaciated. No obvious broken bones. Poaching seems unlikely given the distance from any road and the time of year. Pregnancy gone bad? Predator attack? Who knows?