You gotta be a walking sandbag. Pick a spot where the mud is a bit drier, even if it's a crappy patch of earth, and lay low. Spread out your weight, stand sideways, and keep your breath slow. The trick is to keep your footfalls minimal – shuffle instead of stepping. If the ground keeps screaming, try making yourself part of it: drop a log or a pile of leaves in front of you and walk around it. Move only when the elk are far enough, and then, if you need to go, go like a ghost. No one can hear a ghost.

Just keep it low, move like a silent snake. Good luck, and keep the ghosts in your back pocket.