The first Wapiti Wednesday of the season following my first captures of these mountain residents this past weekend.

Driving through the Kawuneeche Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park I came across a good sized herd of cows and calves enjoying the cool, damp weather. Most were not interested in me at all but this little one couldn’t hide its curiosity.

As I kneeled and started to snap pictures, it was intently focused on me, keeping close watch and no doubt wondering why I had interest in it. This year’s newborns are growing fast and as you can tell, starting to lose their spots.

Elk are one the of the largest members of the deer family. Native Americans called them ‘wapiti’ or light colored deer. The animals once had a wide range across North America but hunting and human influences now have them primarily found across the western parts of the continent.

One for Wapiti Wednesday and a throwback to mid-September. At lower elevations in Rocky Mountain National Park, conditions were mild and pleasant. However, as I neared the top of Old Fall River Road, the weather conditions changed considerably.

At first it was just a few snowflakes but soon I was seeing accumulated snow on the ground, the temperature plummeted and the winds picked up. Near the top, just below the visitors center, a number of elk were hanging out including this young one.

The winds created near whiteout conditions and in fact, actually resulted in Trail Ridge Road being closed for a time stranding me on the wrong side of the park! It was quite an experience but kind of fun in a way.

The annual Elk rut is over and they have settled down and are preparing for a long, cold winter. This image was taken back in the middle of September at the height of the mating season.

While this bull looked and sounded quite impressive as he patrolled the hills, the ladies either weren’t very taken with him or he was not as good of a fighter as you might guess from his looks. There was only one cow in the area and she was doing her best to avoid him. I guess looks aren’t everything. 😉

Closeup of Elk bull keeping watch on his harem. Taken a couple of weeks ago, this big fella had his harem of 10 near Mary’s Lake in Estes Park, away from any real competition. That allowed him to enjoy a quiet evening by the lake with the ladies, something we all would enjoy. 😉

In front of the eye you may notice the ‘preorbital gland’. Elk, deer and a lot of other hoofed animals have them. These scent glands secrete pheromones and other chemicals. They then will rub their faces on bushes and tree branches, commonly believed as a way of marking their territory.

More of my pics of these cool creatures can be found here.

We spent the weekend in Estes Park, Colorado, touring Rocky Mountain National Park each day. Photo opportunities were a bit rare for me but yesterday evening this one came along not a quarter mile from our campsite. A bull had himself a nice little harem and this young one was hanging out with its mom.

My wife and I spent a good while sitting in the rain just enjoying the scene. You can definitely tell the weather is changing with the seasons as there was a notable chill in the air and snow on many of the peaks, particularly above timberline.