There are times when my ease at waking up early feels like a super power.
Left the house at 4:00 this morning and was in Rocky Mountain National Park at 6:00 in time to try a few star photos before the sun came up and I could start looking for the elk who are in their rutting season now.
If there was any doubt, my #1 wish list item is a zoom lens that is sharp and works well in low light.
Until then . . .
I had entered through the Fall River Visitor center entrance on U.S. 34 because I'd missed the turn off at Estes Park to go through town and into the southeastern entrance at Beaver Meadows, which turned out well.
Coming back down toward the meadows, I decided to turn off on a dirt road and discovered one bull and his harem quite close to the road in the early morning light. He was bugling and herding them all around.
He started heading them back into the forest so I turned around and kept going down the main meadow where I founds the hordes ... of people, and quite a lot of elk, but much farther away.
My first zoom attempt at the closest bull resulted in one of his cows popping up in between to photobomb me.
trying again:
and, of course, there were the people who completely ignored the posted-all-over-the-place warning to stay on the road and not walk in the meadow.
Just to the left of where I took the photo of the dumb people? Half a dozen bucks eyeing each other warily.
I had wanted to take Stephanie through RMNP and on Trail Ridge Road down to Grand Lake but the night before she had arrived, ice had closed the road. So this morning, I decided I'd take that route home and see if the aspens were getting going along the way. It is certainly the most scenic route, and the longest route home.
Trail Ridge Road is that crazy zig-zagging line of Hwy 34 all through RMNP and then south to Grand Lake.
Some views:
on the far side of RMNP right before the gates, there was another herd right by the road.
this aspen was a triplet!
Surprising, the road along Grand Lake had a really good showing of changing Aspen. I'd even go so far as to say this area is at peak right now.
Once past the lake, it began to peter out, with a few stands bright yellow and quite a lot more just barely turning.
my passenger seat on the ride home, evidence of the 28° degrees at the summit of Trail Ridge Road versus the lovely 60° of Grand Lake -- coat, gloves, hat, coffee cup, water bottle, and both cameras hanging out for the rest of the drive back!
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