Height of Autumn

This is an original 10" x 8" ink, watercolor, and gouache painting on aquboard. 
 
"Height of Autumn" was inspired by a backpacking hike out of Dark Canyon on Kebler Pass. We walked slowly and kept hearing crumbling across the way. When we couldn't ignore the noice anymore, we stopped and looked out over the canyon and there, straight across on the other side of the river, was the largest black bear I'd ever seen, dragging an elk carcass up the hillside. He got a scent of my dog, stopped, walked out the edge of a rock, and stood there, staring straight at us. We took in the moment, then kept walking, thankful for the deep river valley between us.