Mountain Highs and Elk Cries

(2025 Balloons and Beyond Ep 9)

With the Fiesta balloons packed and ready for future hot air events, we return to the beyond portion of the RabbiTRAILS 2025 Balloons and Beyond series.   We continue to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rocky Mountain National Park

The park is about two hours northwest of Denver, CO in the Rocky Mountains.  It is one of the most visited US National Parks, featuring rugged mountains often covered with snow, alpine lakes and abundant wildlife.

After a night at a Harvest Host location near Estes Park near the park entrance, we bypassed the popular east side of the park that we have visited before and drove the Trail Ridge Road toward the western side of the park instead. 

White Knuckles on the Trail ridge Road

The 48-mile Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in North America, reaching an elevation of 12,183 feet.    It is above the tree line in the upper elevations. I nervously gripped the steering wheel because the road is narrow, the guardrails are low or non-existent, the winds are strong, and it is a LONG way to the bottom!  Despite this, the drive is wonderfully beautiful!

We stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center near the top of the drive to eat lunch and enjoy the mountain views.  It was windy and cold, and storm clouds were approaching from the west. 

In an alpine valley we spotted a bull elk with massive antlers and his harem of nearly a dozen elk cows.  The alpine ground cover had hues of yellow, orange and red, indicating fall had arrived and winter would soon follow.

On the west side of the park the road quickly descends.   We soon arrived at Timber Creek Campground, our home for several nights. 

Bugle Calls Across the Colorado

After setting up, we followed a nearby trail to a small creek no more than 20 feet wide.  Imagine our surprise to learn that we were at the headwaters of the mighty Colorado, the river that goes through the Grand Canyon and over Hoover Dam!

A woman whipped a flyfishing line back and forth, gently landing a small, feathered fly in the stream.  She had no bites or strikes.    

The fish were quiet but a nearby bull elk wasn’t.   Although he was hidden in the undergrowth, we could hear him bugle hauntingly beautiful whistle sounds to call his elk lady friends.  It was the elk rut.

We quietly waited in waist high grass as the bull elk called again and again. The bushes on the far side of the Colorado began to shake and out stepped the magnificent elk.  Behind him followed several elk cows.

Rain and Snow on the Way

The weather changed.  Passing clouds produced cold rain showers.  Rain was forecast the next day with snow expected in the upper elevations. The park announced the Trail Ridge Road would be closed after 6 pm.

With that, we decided to leave a day early for Great Sand Dunes National Park to the south.  One unexpected challenge was ahead – as we crossed Freemont Pass between Copper Mountain (a big ski resort on I-70) and Leadville, the rain turned to snow.   Fortunately, the roads over the 11,316 foot pass were clear, but wet snow was accumulating on the trees, bushes and hillsides.  It was a beautiful sight, but we were ready for warm, clear weather.            

Next Week

Nestled up to the base of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo mountains are massive dunes more than 700 feet tall.  They can be seen from more than 30 miles away! 

We explore the dunes and then hike to Zapata Falls nearby where we wade through frigid waters to view an unexpected double chasm.