It's Elk Mating Time!

A view of Long's Peak (Ty and Mere have hiked to the top a couple of times!)


Horseshoe Park Bull Elk and his harem.


A bugling bull elk.

Tyler and Miranda (we ran into them at Moraine Meadow)

A view from the top of Trail Ridge Road in RMNP - the highest road in the US (goes 11 mi.)

I've always wanted to head to Rocky Mt. Nat. Park during the elk rutting season (call me weird) but so do lots of other people. Arn and I started off this past Sun. morn by heading to Winter Park, going thru Fraiser, to Grandby, Grand Lake and over Trail Ridge Rd to see the elk. We stopped for lunch in Grand Lake. Elk viewing is best from 5-7 pm. so I wouldn't let Arn stop and do any hikes on the way. We arrived at the best viewing area (so did a lot of other people) and got our spot. Just after 5 pm a bull elk with his harem showed up and they all played in the lake. Wanting to see two bulls reaction to each other we moved to another area (Moraine Meadow). There were several bulls with harems but no sparring. Ty and Miranda saw two bulls bowing. All of them were bugling. A reminder for for next time (take binoculars)! Arn's reaction to everything - 'you see one elk, you've seen them all' and 'how long can you watch a bunch of elk'.