In addition to railroads warning hunters to stay off the track, we need to warn railfans (and railroaders) to stay out of the crosshairs of hunters. As with many other places, opening day of elk season here in north Idaho coincides with the onset of fall colors. When photographing in the countryside (even the wooded suburbs of New Jersey!), you'd be well-advised to wear a blaze orange vest or jacket. For many years, I've worn the requisite safety vest, hard hat, etc., when shooting on RR property (with a release authorizing me to do so), especially in yards and urban areas or near work gangs, but I never thought about the hunter safety angle until I started visiting the Camas Prairie. Toward the end of 2000, when the CSP (Railnet) was running its final trains on the 2nd Sub, I routinely crossed paths with Jim Morefield, who hirailed up Lapwai Canyon ahead of most trains. By late September, he was wearing a big blaze orange jacket, probably the same Cabela's jacket my dad got me for Christmas a couple of years ago. As usual, Jim found me set up somewhere in the canyon and stopped to chat. He pointed out that he wore such a jacket mainly to avoid being shot at by hunters when he was walking track. I've followed his advice ever since. Each fall I find myself around Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, and yes there are signs and sounds of hunting going on all around. But for some reason, at my favorite spot high above the Kootenai River gorge, there's not another human being in sight, even though there are some fabulous old campsites and plenty of deer roaming about. Last year, very late one night, the parade of eastbound BNSFs were all abuzz on the radio about a herd of elk grazing along the river, close to the track, under the moonlight. FYI: my parents just returned from a cross-country drive to visit relatives in western New York. My dad says the fall colors back east were really poor, probably due to the unusually warm weather they've had. He didn't see good colors until they were back into western Montana. The Northwest has enjoyed recent weeks with cold nights, cooler days, and periods of rain followed by sunshine. Colors are looking great. You guys going to the Alta-Mont gig in Essex should do fine, assuming you get a few sun breaks. Done rambling. BE SAFE.