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| Moose calf |
I live in Colorado, so it makes sense that I spend a lot of time in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), which is only a couple of hours away. With the pandemic, the Park was closed for a couple of months in 2020 and then it went to a reservation system for visits, while most of the campgrounds remained closed. So 2020 visits were tough, but we did manage to go. In this post, I am going to talk about our "Moosecapades," but I thought maybe I should give a little Park background as well.
Rocky Mountain National Park
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| An Elk in RMNP, 2015 |
Just about 50 miles from where Caty lives in Fort Collins, RMNP is situated between Estes Park on the east and Grand Lake on the west. The Continental Divide runs through the center of the park and the headwaters of the Colorado River are in the park's northwestern corner. The Park features mountains, alpine lakes and a wide variety of wildlife within various climates and environments, from wooded forests to mountain tundra.
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| We attended the Centennial Celebration in 2015 |
The Rocky Mountain National Park Act was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915 and the Civilian Conservation Corps built Trail Ridge Road in the 1930s.
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| They celebrated at the top of Trail Ridge Road, as well |
In 1976, RMNP became a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Because of its beauty, wildlife and proximity to Denver, RMNP is one of the nation's most popular National Parks. In 2019, the park had record attendance with almost 4.7 million visitors. Of course, the pandemic and the Troublesome Creek Fire that devastated the West Side in the late summer, dramatically reduced visitors in 2020.
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| We like to camp every year, but could not in 2020 |
Paleo-Indians traveled along what is now Trail Ridge Road to hunt and forage for food, followed by the Ute and Arapaho people who hunted and camped in the area. In 1820, the Long Expedition, led by Stephen H. Long for whom Longs Peak was named, approached the Rockies via the Platte River. Settlers began arriving in the mid-1800s, displacing the Native Americans who mostly left the area "voluntarily" by 1860, while others were removed to reservations by 1878.
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| Holzwarth |
The towns of Lulu City, Dutchtown and Gaskill in the Never Summer Mountains were established in the 1870s when prospectors came to the Colorado Rockies looking for gold and silver. The boom ended by 1883 and the miners deserted their claims (probably heading elsewhere to strike more claims). The railroad reached Lyons, Colorado, in 1881 and the Big Thompson Canyon Road (our route in) was completed in 1904. Lots of this history can be seen in the Park in the Holzwarth Historic District, which showcases cabins built by the Holzwarth family as a guest ranch.
The family made its homestead in the Kawuneeche Valley in 1917, two years after the Park was established, and received a patent on the homestead in 1923. The Never Summer Ranch opened in 1919 and operated until it was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1974. The property was then transferred to the National Park Service in 1975 for incorporation into the Park. It's a great place to visit, especially for children.
RMNP encompasses 415 square miles of Federal land, with an additional 395 square miles of National Forest lands surrounding the Park on all sides. The park contains approximately 450 miles of rivers and streams, 350 miles of trails, and 150 lakes.
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| Bear Lake, 2014 |
RMNP is one of the highest National Parks in the nation, with elevations from 7,860 to 14,259 feet. Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved through-road in the country, with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet. Sixty mountain peaks over 12,000 feet high provide scenic vistas. Several small glaciers and permanent snowfields are found in the high mountain cirques. The east side tends to be drier with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques; the west side is wetter with more lush, deep forests.
The Ancestral Rockies formed 300 million years ago, then eroded away. The land was uplifted by intense plate tectonic activity about 80-55 million years ago and subsequent erosion by glaciers created the current form of the mountains.
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| The magnificent Rockies from Trail Ridge Road, 2015 |
Colorado has one of the most diverse plant and animal environments of the United States, partially due to the dramatic temperature differences arising from varying elevation levels and topography. RMNP has four ecosystems ...
Montane is at the lowest elevations, between 5,600 to 9,500 feet, where the slopes and large meadow valleys support the widest range of plant and animal life. The area has meandering rivers, summer wildflowers, pines, spruce, willow, alder, birch, aspens, grass and willow trees. Mammals that inhabit the montane ecosystem include Snowshoe Hares, Coyotes, Mountain Lions, Beavers, Mule Deer, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Black Bears and Rocky Mountain Elk.
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| The lower elevations are green in the summer |
From 9,000 to 11,000 feet, the montane forests give way to subalpine forests. Fir and Engelmann spruce cover the mountainsides, becoming increasingly short and twisted as the elevation approaches tree line. Mammals of the subalpine zone include Bobcats, Mountain Lions, Coyotes, Elk, Mule Deer, Chipmunks, Shrews, Porcupines, Black Bears and Yellow-bellied Marmots.
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| Subalpine Dream Lake |
More than one third of RMNP is alpine tundra above tree line, where plant life is stunted by cold and strong winds. Moss, lichen and grasses form a spongy short carpet among the rock ledges. Mammals include Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Badgers, Pikas, Yellow-bellied Marmots.and Snowshoe Hares.
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| Yellow-bellied Marmots inhabit the alpine zone |
The riparian -- or river -- ecosystem runs through the montane, subalpine and alpine tundra zones and creates a foundation for life, especially for species that thrive next to streams, rivers and lakes. The headwaters of the Colorado River, which provides water to many of the southwestern states, are located on the west side of the park. The Fall River, Cache la Poudre River and Big Thompson Rivers are located on the east side of the Park.
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| Water is life in RMNP |
RMNP's ecological diversity allows it to host nearly 70 variety of mammals and almost 300 species of birds. However, the advent of humans drove away or exterminated a number of original inhabitants, including Wolves, Wolverines, Brown/Grizzly Bears and American Bison.
The park is home to some 2,000 to 3,000 Rocky Mountain Elk in summer, with about half that amount in winter. There are more than 3,000 Moose, about 350 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep and only about 35 Black Bears. Plus, Mule Deer can be seen throughout the Park and are, much more infrequently, Red Foxes, Coyotes, a variety of Weasels and Bobcats. Present, but rarely seen are Canadian Lynx and Mountain Lions.
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| Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep |
The Park contains a network of trails that range from easy, paved paths suitable for all visitors including those with disabilities, to strenuous mountain trails for experienced, conditioned hikers as well as off-trail routes for backcountry hikes. Trails lead to more than 100 designated wilderness camping sites. Most trails are for summer use only, since at other times of the year many trails are not safe due to weather conditions.
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| Trails are well-maintained and well-used |
RMNP is generally open every day of the year, weather permitting. Due to the extended winter season in higher elevations, Trail Ridge Road between Many Parks Curve and the Colorado River Trailhead is closed much of the year. The road is usually open by Memorial Day and closes in mid-October, generally after Columbus Day. Fall River Road does not open until about July 4 and closes in October for vehicular traffic.
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| Fall is a great time to visit, but you have to be prepared for snow to close the roads |
Many visitors to RMNP also spend time is Estes Park on the east or Grand Lake on the west.
I find Estes Park a bit stifling with tacky stores and throngs of tourists (think a smaller and not-as-tacky Gatlinburg). I encounter many people who can't distinguish between Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, often saying they visited Estes Park when they mean RMNP. This is partially because the town is named Estes Park. In this case, the word "Park" just means "upland valley" and does not indicate a recreational area. Estes Park does have lots of very nice accommodations and is a good place to stay if you can't camp in the Park.
Originally an Arapaho summer camping area, the area was visited by white trappers in the 1850s. The first white settlers cam in the 1860s and tourism commenced in less than 10 years.
After Loveland pass opened, Stanley Steamer cars and buses were used to transport tourists to Estes Park. The founder of the car company, built the Stanley Hotel to bolster tourism and the rest is history. By the way, during those early years, Stanley employees would dress as Bears and jump out of the bushes to heighten the tourism experience.
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| The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park was inspiration for Stephen King's "The Shining" |
Grand Lake is a bit more rustic and charming and is filled with delightful cabins and lots of Moose. It derives its name from the lake on whose shores it is situated: Grand Lake, the largest natural body of water in Colorado. The town was originally an outfitting and supply point for the nearby mining settlements of Lulu City, Teller City and Gaskill. In 2020, the Troublesome Creek Fire burned much of the area as well as doing significant damage to the west side of the Park (another fire damaged areas around Estes Park at the same time). I haven't been back since the fires, so I am not sure of the extent of the damage, but I know it destroyed Park structures and many homes and cabins.
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| I hope this lovely cabin is still standing |
Moosecapade
So, now that I have provided a brief overview of this lovely Park, let me get back to the Moose I am claiming to talk about. Even with all the obstacles, we managed to make it to the RMNP a couple of times in 2020 to search for Moose -- properly masked, of course. I mean that we were masked, not the Moose! That would be something to see.
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| Pandemic Moosing requires a summertime mask |
When we visit, we like to go to the west side because, as I have said, that's where you find the most Moose and we love us some Moose!
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| I mean, this is pretty compelling |
Every year, Caty and I (and sometimes Scott) visit, usually in late May or early June, for what Caty and I have dubbed as "Moosecapade."
Moosecapade is basically the pursuit of newborn baby Moose and their mommas.
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| Moose calf |
Then, we also like to go back in late summer/early fall, looking for Bull Moose with antlers. During that time of year, we also usually go to Brainard Lake, which is south of RMNP and usually has a nice stock of Big Boys.
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| Bull Moose |
Here are some previous posts on our many Moose forays:
Included in these posts are details about how Moose came to be so prevalent in Colorado -- they were introduced in the late 70s and have enjoyed a virtually predator-free existence ever since -- and lots of information on what species we have -- Shiras Moose -- and what their habits and characteristics are.
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| Moose cow |
I am not going to repeat any of that. Instead, I will probably just entertain you with a few anecdotes and lots of photos.
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| Hey there! |
In 2020, we visited RMNP in May, June and July. While not our most successful trips, we did pretty well, racking up sightings in the range of 20-40 per visit.
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| I hope this mama with her year-old calf was able to fatten up over the summer |
The May and June trips were day trips from Caty's because she lives closer to the Park than we do. And, for a day trip, an early departure is critical. The July trip was a weekend in Grand Lake where we stayed in the gorgeous Winchester Cabin at the Winding River Resort because we could not camp.
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| Winchester Cabin, Winding River Resort |
This year, we were not able to go to Brainard at all so RMNP had to deliver some boy Moose for us. And, it did.
Giving a blow-by-blow of those trips doesn't make a lot of sense because the process is always pretty much the same. It goes like this:
Drive to Rocky Mountain National Park and head over Trail Ridge Road to the west side.
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| Elk at the top |
Or, if Trail Ridge is closed, drive there via Poudre Canyon (which was closed for a while last summer for forest fires).
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| Poudre Canyon |
Drive up and down the road through the west side of the Park, looking for Moose.
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| It's a good day when they are close and easy to find |
Stop for a picnic.
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| Fortunately, some of the Moose hang out at the picnic areas |
Drive some more.
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| A handsome bull Moose |
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| We are not the only people who do this |
Check out Grand Lake for Moose.
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| This year, Grand Lake offered up more scenery than Moose |
Go back to the Park and look for Moose.
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| Moose emerging from the river |
Eat dinner and go out and look for Moose (or delay dinner and look for Moose).
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| Evening Moose |
Go home, or if you are staying in or near the Park, sleep.
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| Our home away from home |
Get up and do it again until you have to go home.
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| Time to go |
Our numbers tend to be good. We generally see between 20 and 40 unique Moose on each outing. The Park usually has more mamas and babies (cows and calves) and Grand Lake tends to have more big boys (bulls). But, 2020 actually delivered up a fair number of bulls in the Park.
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| Some of the best Bulls I have ever seen in the Park |
Although the majority of Moose tend to be on the west side, each year larger numbers show up on the east side. I have even heard of, but not witnessed, Moose in Estes Park. I suspect that, as time goes on, that will happen more and more often. Maybe, some day I will have one in my yard.
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| Eastside Moose |
Although people will tell you that you have to search in the early morning or late afternoon, we have seen Moose at all times of day.
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| Mid-day Moose |
On the east side, the dawn/dusk thing seems to have more relevance, possibly because the crowds are larger and the number of Moose smaller. We have found that our best chances on the east are Sheep Lakes at sun-up ...
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| Sheep Lakes Moose |
... and the willow-filled Beaver ponds boardwalk at the beginning of Trail Ridge Road after the 36/34 junction any time of day.
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| Moose in the willows |
The west side has good odds everywhere, with most Moose on the west side of the road where the river flows through. That's for two reasons: first, the grassy valley, river, marshes and ponds provide a great deal of yummy forage for Moose and; second, the vistas are wider and more open, so it is easier to see the Moose. There may be a third, too: because we SEE more Moose on the west, we look more on the west and, thus, we see more on the west.
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| Westside Moose |
Good spots to see them include the two Beaver Ponds pullouts -- the overlook and the picnic area -- where there is a wide open field, a lovely pond and plenty of marshes ...
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| A Moose cow bathing near Beaver Pond |
Places where the river curves toward the road, which occurs frequently on the west side ...
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| Two Moose by the road |
And, the unnamed dirt road that provides fishing and hunting access (this is, indeed, one of the MOST reliable places to find Moose) ...
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| Bull Moose right by the parking area |
Of course, the open vistas can provide create good photo opportunities even if the Moose are not close ...
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| Moose on the West side of Rocky Mountain National Park |
Although they are around all day, on very hot days, Moose make themselves scarce because their dark coats get very warm, but they enjoy overcast and rain.
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| Adult Moose can be very dark |
The real trick is perseverance and a good eye for wildlife. When Caty and I go, I am always the driver and she generally plays the role of spotter. Fortunately, she is a fabulous Moose spotter. The biggest challenge for driver (besides not hitting any wildlife) is to keep track of drivers behind you so that you can pull off before they get annoyed at your slow progress, to be able to stop and pull off quickly when you see something, to be able to park your car properly before leaving it (we do not want to impede traffic) and to master the art of the safe U-turn. I would hate to count how many U-turns I have made.
As I mentioned, parking properly is important. You MUST have those tires completely off the road (as in NOT EVEN ON the line). Failing to do so increases the chances Rangers will prevent anyone from stopping at any time.
I am not going to do a blow-by-blow of the three trips, but rather I'll just make comments and post photos. The first was in late May, which is prime calf season, but we didn't see very much.
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| Although, "not much," we did see a higher number than usual of bulls in May |
Then, we went back in June and had a wonderful experience.
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| June is good for calves, even itchy ones |
Pandemic rules required reservations to enter the Park between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. You had two hours to enter after your reservation and, once you went in, you were free to go in and out throughout the day.
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| Photo: Loveland Reporter-Herald |
Making a reservation was tough for us because it meant we now had to plan visits far in advance, without knowing what kind of other commitments we would have or what kind of weather we would face. The beauty of living here is being able to make a snap decision to go to a Park.
And, like so many other things, the pandemic ruined that. Don't get me wrong. I think doing reservations during the pandemic made sense. And, even though it greatly slowed down day time entry, it did make the Park less crowded, which is a plus. Basically, it is the pandemic that sucks, not the Park rules.
Still, we picked a weekend and made a reservation for early entry because it takes a while to get from the East Side, which is the easiest place to access from the Front Range, to the West Side. We actually managed to arrive before 6:00 a.m., so we were able to get to sightseeing as soon as the sun came up without having to show our reservation. And, we were not disappointed, because we saw three Moose in Sheep Lakes.
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| Morning Moose |
It's called Sheep Lakes, but seeing its namesake Bighorn Sheep there is rare. You are more likely to see Elk and, increasingly, Moose. It was chilly and fairly dark and I will admit, the Moose caught me unawares. It took me awhile to get my camera set up on my tripod. Still, I managed to get some shots as the sun bathed the lake in color until the Moose meandered off.
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| I have no idea if they were seen again that day |
Then, we continued on over Trail Ridge to see what was on the other side.
We were lucky to spend a significant amount of time with a cow and calf by the river down the dirt road that provides river access and access to the National Forest. The cow was interested in grazing in the lush green grass while her calf, while sticking close to her, was fascinated by the photographers snapping away.
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| The baby took a break from people-watching to nurse |
They let us get close (probably too close), but eventually tired of us and wandered away,
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| Mama leads as baby tries to keep up |
Then, we spent the day, seeing one Moose ...
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| Bull with early summer antlers |
... after another (or two) ...
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| Cow with last year's calf |
... after another ...
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| Bathing cow |
At the end of the day as we were heading out, we encountered a cow and calf at the Beaver Pond picnic area. We spent a very long time photographing the pair, including the adorable calf that seemed very curious about us.
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| Mama was protective; baby was curious |
Since we weren't staying, we knew we had to leave to get back over Trail Ridge Road by dark. So after spending so long with our final mama and baby, we got in the car and started to pull out. Then, we saw that the calf had actually followed us up the hill and was standing where we had been standing just a few minutes before.
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| Awwww..... |
We got back out and walked past a picnicking couple and got some of the prettiest Moose calf pictures we have ever gotten. It was such a treat.
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| A pretty setting for a pretty baby |
We told the picnicker about the baby that was less than 100 yards away from them and they barely looked up! Some people! Anyway, we got our pictures, making the long, dark ride home worth it.
And, on our way back, we saw another Bull Moose on the east side in the Willows. Cool!
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| A very impressive eastside Moose |
It's Not All MooseBut, don't be fooled, that day was not exclusively Moose. At the same time of year you have baby Moose, you also have baby Elk. They are much harder to photograph because they stay far from the road until just before the sun sets.
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| A mama Elk ushering her calves across the river |
Of course, the bulls don't seem to care as much, click here to see what I am talking about.
There are lots of birds, but on this trip I had a hard time capturing any except this very pretty Lincoln's Sparrow ...
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| Lincoln's Sparrow on a branch |
And, a nesting Tree Swallow that we watched for quite awhile as it flew in to its nest ...
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| This was the first time I had seen a Tree Swallow nest in the Park |
... and then watched us before flying out again ...
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| Watching us |
We also saw a Swainson's Hawk, I believe the first I have ever seen in the Park, although we have begun to see more hawks recently.
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| Are there more or are we seeing more? |
And, let's not forget that there is spectacular scenery ...
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| Early morning reflection on Beaver Pond |
But, wait! There's more!
Moosecapade 2
We went back in July for a second Moosecapade, this time staying at the aforementioned Winchester Cabin at the Winding River Resort.
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| Caty enjoying the Winchester Cabin, including reading the guest book |
One of the features we enjoyed most, besides the elaborate decorations ...
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| The bathroom had spectacular detail (including Winchester shells embedded in the door and floor) |
... were the birdhouses on the porch with its Violet-green Swallow residents ...
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| The birdhouse was as charming as the cabin |
Caty and I spent hours trying to catch these beautiful and incredibly fast birds as they caught insects ...
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| A rare still moment |
.... and delivered them to the nest inside.
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| A delivery of food for the kiddos |
But, I am getting ahead of myself. Before we went to the cabin, before we saw a Moose, just as we arrived, we saw a Black Bear. We got there just as it was leaving the inevitable Bear jam and the photos aren't good. But, a Bear is so rare to see in RMNP, especially on the West side, it is sure worth noting.
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| One of just about 35 Bears in the Park |
And, then, we went looking for Moose. Again, there was no disappointment. Two Bull Moose at the fishing access area. Very close and very uninterested in photographers.
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| The Moose were so close, we stuck by the cars just in case they lost their peaceful demeanor |
It is rare to get to see such magnificent bulls at such close range. We could have stayed all night, except for the dark and the mosquitoes.
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| This was the prettiest Big Boy |
We photographed them until it just got too dark. And, as our photos show, we wore our masks. I wish I could say that about everyone there (and everyone at every other Moose jam we stopped for), but I can't. I like to think people who visit National Parks are smart, compassionate and reasonable. Unfortunately, that is not always true.
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| Evening Moose |
So, we just kept our distance and watched the Moose. Click here for some video.
The next morning, we went back and there were four bulls in the same place. Considering that male Shiras Moose can weigh 1,000 lbs. and stand six feet at the shoulder, that is a LOT of bull.
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| Four bulls |
During the day, we visited this spot several times and were treated to quite a bit of Moose action.
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| This beauty crossed the river |
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| However, climbing out isn't quite as elegant |
Later, we saw a mama and baby ...
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| Mama wants to leave; the baby does not |
And, we got a good look at how much torture these great beasts endure from biting flies and mosquitoes ...
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| It is tough to be a Moose |
Here's some more video from that visit.
Of course, there were Moose elsewhere, as well, including this youngster who took a dip in the river ...
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| Coming out of the water on a warm day |
... and, a collared mom and calf (a Moose we remember from past years) ...
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| X4 with a new baby |
And, just as in past visits, Moose weren't our only quarry. I already mentioned that we saw a Bear. We also had much closer encounters with Elk calves than I have ever had. This included mamas and babies ...
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| Female Elk and her calf |
... and a very large congregation of calves ...
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| This group had more than 20 in it |
And, let's not forget Mule Deer does ...
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| She was wary because there was a much larger Moose close by |
... and bucks ...
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| Young buck in velvet |
Cute and cuddly little Pikas ...
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| I have spent years trying to get a decent photo of a Pika; these are among my better ones |
... Yellow-bellied Marmots ...
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| Marmots live at the highest altitudes and are usually seen at the top of Trail Ridge Road |
... Bighorn Sheep ...
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| Bighorn Sheep and most often at the top, but can be seen throughout the Park |
... Bugs ...
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| Four-spotted Skimmers |
... and lots of birds ....
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| White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper and Lincoln's Sparrow |
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