We awake to a crisp 31 degrees and a clear dark sky. The sun has just lightened the horizon but we are eager to get moving and see some higher ground from the trail ridge road. Yesterday's photo efforts yielded a few jewels, so the pressure is off today for capturing sunrise light.
Lie a theatre's colored flood the high peaks are ignited with orange yellow flares and the dark forest below thaws off it's grey night's cloak and color reemerges from it's overnight den.
Perched on a small knoll just after sunrise at the edge of a large meadow that defines Morain Park we watch as a massive bull elk emerges from the timberline with 20 cows in tow into the grassy valley bottom. Last night's frost still lingers on the tips of the dull green meadow plants and as the low angle orange morning light swings over the ridge it lights up the dew like a million waving sparklers.
Suddenly, the big bull has his head down, shoulders hunched and his bugling snorts take on a noticeably menacing tone. The moisture in his breath condenses in a cloud shooting out from his snout like the exhaust from a steam locomotive. Then he charges. Our binoculars scan ahead for the offending party and like a flash, a coyote breaks cover and darts away. Immediately upon seeing the coyote's retreat. the bull relaxes and resumes his shepard duty over the herd. As the bull relaxes, so does the coyote as he resumes hunting for mice and rabbits at a respectable distance from the elk.
If you plan to come:
This time of year large numbers of elk, broken into small groups can be observed easily in this vast meadow,, with good viewing access spots right from the road or from short hikes. The outboard "C" loop in the Morrain Park campsite are located a bit above the meadow with good oversight. Try to reserve one of these.
Mills Lake
Bugling Elk comes down out of the woods
Blue Gouse
Camp Elk
Ute Indian Grinding rocks in high alpine tundra at 12,000 feet
Never Summer Range
Old homesteading equipment at the headwaters of the Colorado River
1 comment:
Wonderful wonderful photographs, thank you so much for sharing them.
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