McGregor Mountain Blog

I keep saying how amazing this time of year is, and I hope that it doesn’t get too repetitive, but I just have to stress it again! Yesterday, we went out just after surise to watch the elk and enjoy some of this nice weather in the park. We made a stop by Horseshoe Park, then made our way over to Moraine Park. It was perfect! The morning was crisp and cool, and the elk were very active. We watched for about an hour or so as the bulls kept a tight watch on their herem’s, keeping their cows in line and keeping rival bulls at a safe distance. There is truly nothing like the sound of fall in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The elk bugling as the sun is rising is amazing. And it comes from all directions. The big bull you’re watching will bugle towards the hills, only to be answered by a number of other bulls spread throughout the valley and in the surrounding forest. It gives me chills every time!

We wathed the elk for a bit and then made our way deeper into Morain Park, nearing the Cub Lake trail head where the willows begin to thicken. There we found another herd of elk and a small herd of mule deer. There were a few small bucks and a few does and yearling fawns. They were a treat to watch as well. One of the bucks was fiesty and kept thrashing some of the small bushes, acting big and tough, even though he was a little guy! It was great. Once the sun got higher, the theatrics calmed down and we made our way back to the lodge.

We had the pleasure of running into one of our friends out there, Jared Gricoskie, owner of Yellow Wood Guiding, and he filled us in on a lot of good info about this years elk rut. He said he has seen a lot of female flirting. Where the female will actually come up to the bull and nuzzle up against him. This is textbook elk behavior, but is rarely seen here in the park, for whatever reason. I know I have never seen it, nor has Jared with all of his time spent out with the elk. So that was a cool piece of info…

Anyway, here are some pictures from our morning out…

Some winter weather is moving in, so it should be an interesting few days of cold wind and possibly snow. Keep an eye on the netcam!

Michael

It might be the best weather day of the year, with more to come! The temperature is perfect, the skies are blue, and we couldn’t ask for a better fall day here at the lodge. The bighorn have been coming down the past few days, but I’ve missed them…so hopefully pictures will come soon! The elk rut is in full swing and the leaves are beautiful. This is such an amazing time of year.

I’m planning on getting out over the next couple of days and hoping for some nice photography. I’ll share the best of what I get, so check back soon! And we still have openings scattered over the next few weeks, but they are filling fast, so if you’re on the fence, call soon.

Here are some chippy pics from today for those needing their chippy fix!

Michael