A Winter Day at the west end of Rocky Mountain National Park -

The western side of Rocky Mountain National Park is the "wet" side of the park receiving the moisture from Pacific weather fronts. In the winter, it is blanketed with snow. Each time we've visited in the winter, we have been lucky to come during a snow storm. We stay in Grand Lake which is right near the west entrance. We learned the first time that it is really special to be up before dawn and on the road making the first tracks in the unbroken snow.



Trail Ridge Road is closed during the winter so as we reach the turnaround, we can see our tracks.



Each winter we've seen moose near the road. This year we only saw them the first day. Moose are amazing in the snow because they literally wade right through it with snow up to their knees. This time we found a family, a bull moose who had just recently lost his antlers, a female and a yearling calf. We stopped to enjoy them as well as get a few photos. We were thrilled to see two of them lay down, nestled in the snow and forest.





The second morning we came up on a fox laying on the pile of snow from the snowplow's work. Lighting was not great, but foxes are SO photogenic! We saw from his tracks near the road that he had come from higher up, following the roadway. We only saw him that one day as well, but saw fox tracks again on one of the other days.



We saw gray squirrels that scampered quickly away when they saw and heard us coming. We saw snowshoe hare tracks, but never the hares. With the camouflaged white coats, they blend in so well that you can only see them when they move. I've seen them in their summer coats, but never in the winter.

We spent several days driving up and down the roads on the west side. Each day provided different opportunities for winter photography.

We have grown to like Grand Lake as well. In the winter, it is a snowmobilers heaven. While you can't ride your snowmobile in the national park, there are many trails set up to provide riders unique places to ride. The streets are often snow covered and one of the first signs that you see is that snowmobiles MUST follow all traffic laws. Yes, snowmobiles are loud, but for those of us who have physical issues that make snowshoeing more challenging, a snowmobile allows a unique experience in a winter wonderland. I hope to get to rent a snowmobile in Grand Lake some day and explore some of those trails.

The Baby Coyotes

We'd been having snow showers for a day or two, but on Wednesday afternoon, the snow flakes became bigger and it began accumulating. We woke Thursday to a snow covered wonderland.




I took time to capture some of the beauty of the snow covered mountains, but my primary destination was the coyote den. This was my last morning here. I wondered if the pups would show up better against the snow.



When I got to the parking lot, all I could see were the elk in the distance in the willow thickets lining the river. But I knew to wait patiently. Before too long, I saw a coyote moving fast. He was coming my way, but I was not set up. Although I quickly got my big tripod and lens out, that photo opportunity was gone before I was set up. I could tell he was out hunting for breakfast. I wondered how long it would be before he or one of the other coyotes came back to the den. While you could see the small brown dome above the snow around it, it looked quiet and deserted. I wondered how long I would have to wait to see the activity around the den. I waited. I talked to people who stopped in the parking lot. One had seen the coyotes down the valley. She waited for a while, but gave up and went on. I talked to the docent about the big horn sheep that had been seen around the lakes. I waited . . . Patience IS sometimes rewarded. I saw the coyote returning. It was interesting to see the magpies and ravens start showing up around the den even before the coyote was close. The coyote headed straight for the den. Right before it got to the den, I saw it regurgitate - I'd been expecting that. Even though the birds tried to hang around to get a morsel from this feeding, the coyotes kept chasing them away.



The puppies did not come out until the coyote was right in front of the den. However, you could tell by their reaction and behavior that he had brought them food. No nursing behavior, so this must have been one of the male adults.



The puppies were happy to be outside. They romped around in the snow and tried to play with the adult who was also carefully standing watch.




It wasn't long before one of the other adults showed up.




The puppies clustered around mom to nurse.



While these are not competition quality shots, even with my 300-800m lens and a 2X teleconverter, this family is too far away to get what I call great shots. Each of these has been cropped so that the den and family are more prominent in the frame.



But even if the image quality is not what I would prefer, I'm still proud of these shots. They tell the story of a morning at the den. Before this trip I had never seen coyote puppies, much less seen the inner workings of a coyote family group.



I thoroughly enjoyed my time observing this coyote family. I hope you enjoy seeing these intimate family shots.

Elk vs the coyotes

We're up in Rocky Mountain National Park. We've been watching a coyote family now for several days. Today I went into a different area, Upper Beaver Meadows. I've been expecting to see coyotes in more than one area of the park and I was not disappointed. But I'm finding the coyotes when I see the elk start to behave differently. Several times now, I've seen the elk aggressively chasing coyotes. The Beaver Meadow area coyote very slowly left the scene after being chased out of the willow area by the elk herd.

Today we had snow. I had gone over to the Beaver Meadow area to find a vantage point to get photos of the mountains hidden by the snow clouds. But after I had gotten a few of those, I was ready to head over to the Sheep Lake area and check on "my" coyote family.

I checked the den area - no kits out, but there was mother coyote all curled up in a slightly protected area not far from her den. While she would look up every now and then, she stayed hunkered down as the snow showers came through. It was only a little bush or a little mound of ground that protected her from the wind. But all curled up she looked snug and warm. I kept looking for the other adult coyotes, but for a while I did not see them.

Then, I noticed the elk acting funny again . . . sure enough the elk were chasing the darker coyote. He found a spot to hide in the short willows and the elk went back to grazing.

I could see the snow coming in from the west. The valley west of Sheep Lake was totally whited out for a while. As the snow began to die down, things were quiet so I headed up to Endovalley. The elk were plentiful near the road. There was some accumulation of snow on the pine trees, the willows, and the aspens. I made my way back and all of a sudden I could see the sun lighting up the clouds in the valley behind me. That had to be a photo. I hurried back to the main road and back to Sheep Lake. I'm not sure those photos are great, but the most exciting part of my day was just about to begin.

When I got back to the Sheep Lakes area, I saw the elk at it again. They were in hot pursuit of another coyote, the dark one. The race was on. They also found the mother - so both coyotes were on the run. They were running north and away from their den, and the elk were intent on chasing them away from their area. The coyotes split up, but the elk were not deceived. They had lured most of the elk away from the den. But one elk stayed and nosed around the den. She wasn't eating, she was intently sniffing. But she finally moved away. I saw the mother begin to double back toward the den. Most of the elk were still intent on the darker coyote. Then all of a sudden there were three coyotes at the den, the elk were in pursuit, the kits were piling out of the den. Somehow, the other two coyotes managed to lure the elk after them. Mother and babies had feeding and play time. Two wandered a good distance from the den. After the other kits were back in the den, mother coyote seemed to round up the wandering babies . . . and soon all the kits were back in their snug home ready for the cold night.

Now, for several hours, I had not seen the babies. How does mother coyote teach them to stay in the den, even when she is not there? Or was one of the coyotes in the den with the babies keeping them company? I did not see where the third coyote came from.

In other seasons of the year, the elk have not been concerned about the coyotes. But it is almost time for the elk to start dropping their foals. Must be their mother instinct, trying to chase the coyotes away from the areas where they will be hiding the fawns.

It was a fascinating drama. Hope I can watch more of it tomorrow. And I wish the den was closer to an area where I could get better photographs.

Rocky Mountain Coyotes

While I love getting to go and explore new places, I also enjoy going back to the special places we've found. One of the advantages of going back to photograph familiar areas is that you have a better idea where to find your subjects. Once you've seen an animal in one location, you know you are likely to see it there again.

We've visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times over the last few years. Because we have regularly seen coyotes in one of the valleys, I usually try to spend time there waiting. The first morning I headed over there, I was rewarded by seeing two coyotes immediately. They were getting ready to cross the road, so after taking what shots I could, I moved on to a parking area which hopefully would be in the path they were heading. Waiting and being patient are a necessary part of being a nature photographer. I could see the coyote on the far side of the valley near the small willows along the stream. Still too far away to get great photos, but fun to watch. I was in no hurry to move.



At one point, I got to watch and hear him howl. I could hear other coyotes join the song. One was visible some distance away.



Before long, he started heading in my direction. I tried to position myself so that if he did continue in my direction I would have the best angle available. To my delight, he continued across the valley and I was able to get some full frame photos of him.




The sun was at the wrong angle to get photo competition quality shots. But I still try, because sometimes these shots can work. And by taking the shots even when things are not perfect, it prepares me for those times when the lighting conditions do cooperate.

We came back in the evening to watch for the coyotes again. I was watching one down in the valley, when someone told me there were kits. I grabbed the big tripod and lens and trotted off to get as close as the park rules would allow. They are definitely in the distance and in the evening lighting, the photos did not come out very well. At the distance without binoculars or big camera lens, they look like little dots cavorting around their parents. When an elk came near to investigate, the kits quickly scurried back into their den. I knew we had to come back in the morning.

We got up near sunrise, not perfectly, but good enough. We easily found one of the coyotes laying in the brush. We kept an eye on the den. Suddenly I realized there was a kit in the valley nursing on the coyote I'd been watching. I need to change the gender to she!


She picked it up in her mouth and trotted back over to the den. The other kits rapidly ran out and seemed to greet her with joy. It was definitely breakfast time.



We continued to watch, and I kept taking pictures, knowing they were too far away to get the details I wanted. I had brought my teleconverters hoping. While they did help, I had to use manual focus which is not ideal.

When the docents arrived to man the kiosk, we learned that the coyote family has three adults in addition to the kits. That is what we had been seeing. The mother and dad and one of the kits from the year before to help with feeding.



As we were watching, the dad came over and the kits were all over him in greeting.





At one point in the morning, there was still another reunion. We were watching 6 coyotes romp and roll and greet each other.


These coyotes really blend in with their surroundings. We've learned to look for motion, as that is what gives them away. Of course, we find some coyote shaped stumps and bushes, but they don't move. And now, I know what a coyote den looks like. I think of all the people who pass by this area without seeing the coyotes or the kits because they don't take time to wait or they don't get there early in the morning, or they don't know how to spot them. It is so much fun to watch the coyotes interact with one another and hunt - I'm glad that over time we've learned to see them.

Rocky Mountain Wildlife

While we got out and about before sunrise today, the mountains were socked in with heavy clouds. The sun came out around noon and i went out knowing it was the wrong time of day for photography. I sat in the shade of a tree at Moraine Park and hoped for bluebirds (I had seen one when I parked the car - it was why I chose the spot I did.) I did see bluebird, but it was far enough away that my shot is only going to show this small patch of blue in a big photo. Naptime called and when I woke up the clouds were back. We drove out again for a couple of hours around sunset - lighting just was not good enough for photography but I did enjoy driving around, checking out birds with my binoculars and enjoying the peaceful pastoral setting of grazing elk in the meadows.

Wildlife list
Elk - hundreds
Black tail deer
Crows
Flicker (saw twice, but either not long enough or at wrong angle for full identification)
Mountain bluebird - possibly a couple of baby bluebirds as well
Yellow rumped warbler???? - too much yellow, but otherwise this seems most likely candidate
Brewers Blackbird
Magpie
Redwing blackbird, male and female
European Starling
Marmot
ground squirrel
prairie dogs
Pinyon Jay???? Looked too dark to be mountain bluebird plus breast was dark blue - flew into Ponderosa Pine tree
Raven
ruby throated hummingbird

Winter Solitude

We left Breckenridge on Wednesday. After staying five weeks at the condo, there was much to pack up and load back into the car. And a doctor's call sent me to his office to get my shoulder checked before we could leave - one more thing to slow us down. But we did get off - and headed toward the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Instead of taking the fast paced, stressful I-70, we headed north out of Frisco and went through Kremling - leaving the populated areas of Dillon, Silverthorne, Frisco, and Breckenridge behind. It was snowing on our first pass through Rocky Mountain National Park. The highest peaks were hiding behind snow clouds. As we headed out of the park, we passed an area where the snowmobile trail paralleled the road complete with snowmobilers sharing the road with us. We found a hotel in Grand Lake Village - a small rustic town. I almost think that at this time of year the snowmobiles outnumber the cars - as there were snowmobiles to rent EVERYWHERE. It turns out there is a large trail system in the national forest just north of town. You could probably spend days exploring all of them. Grand Lake is obviously doing well financially based upon the well kept building and upscale souvenir shots, but this is not their big season. Our first search for restaurants found many of them "closed." We settled for the restaurant across the street from our hotel, Bear's Den & Paws Pub. The trout almondine was good and we ate there a couple of times during our stay.

It was snowing when we went to bed, and I was looking forward to getting out at dawn, hoping for a colorful mountain sunrise. We got out early and were the first ones to make tracks on the snow in the park - that is, the first human tracks . . . . . Over the next few days we had a lot of fun studying the animal tracks in the snow. The west side of the park gets much more snow and moisture than the eastern side. As a result, the snows are deeper in the winter, and many of the parks animal residents either hibernate or move down below to winter. Birds were few and far between - I think I saw only three or four during the days we were there. Our most common animal siting were the moose that frequented the road.







However, there were lots of animal tracks. Snowshoe hare was the most common,















followed by the moose that crashed through the snowberms along the road.






But we also saw some smaller tracks that were harder for us to identify.




We saw one series that were most likely coyote, complete with a trail "marker".





We saw tracks that were probably weasels and squirrels. I decided that it would be fun to photograph the tracks perhaps to identify later.

While there were a few people driving through, snowshoeing, or cross country skiing, Henry and I pretty much had the park to ourselves. We could hear the wind whistling through the trees, watch the snow devils across the frozen beaver swamps, and enjoy the falling snow.