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Rocky Mountains Fall Photo Trip


klsphoto

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<p>If you had 4 weeks (+/-) and your own accommodations (ie: travel trailer) where and when would you go in the Rocky Mountains for a) Elk rut and b) fall color? Did a quick trip to Yellowstone last year and saw only 1 bull elk and a few cows during the 3 days we were there so probably won't go there again. We have more time this year and can go a longer distance. We're located in Salmon, ID. Thanks for your input. </p>
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<p>You must have missed the Madison elk heard. :( They are usually along the river flats just west of the camp ground at Madison Junction. There is also a huge elk herd just south of Mammoth, at the flats around Swan Lake, after you climb out of Mammoth.</p>

<p>I'd go to Yellowstone, up to Glacier, then up to Banff and Jasper Parks in Canada, turn around and go home thru the same parks again. Of all the above parks, I think Yellowstone is the best for seeing large numbers of easily accessible elk.</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>For bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer and other high altitude mamals, it's hard to beat Mount Evans, just West of Denver, because you can drive all the way to the top at 14,000-feet. The close the top road on Sept. 7th this year, although you'll still be able to get high, just not to the summit. It's beautiful and easy.</p>

<p>Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park are places to see the elk in Sept and October. The summit closes sometime in September (I couldn't find the exact date, so it may be variable with conditions). The elk come into the lower elevations in Sept and Oct. In the wetlands you'll see moose.</p>

<p>Of course, it IS wildlife and they're not under contract, so sitings can't be guaranteed, but I've never been to RMNP or Mount Evans without seeing wildlife. Bring the longest lenses you have. You might get close up, but 500mm plus can come in handy.</p>

<p>Snows at the summits start real soon, so getting in around labor day will give you all-access and increase your odds, unless you're going to hike a good bit.</p>

<p>Happy hunting and good luck.</p>

<p>Here's a Set that I took this Wednesday at Mt. Evans before coming into the office:<br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcstep/sets/72157624584971107/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcstep/sets/72157624584971107/</a></p>

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<p>RMNP/Estes Park is a great area for elk during the rut - 2nd half of Sep. But it's hard to beat Jellystone for the quantity and variety of wildlife. That why I'll be in Yellowstone and Tetons the last week of Sep - fall color and wildlife.</p>

<p>The Yellowstone elk herd runs to around 12,000-15,000 until the snow flies, at which point about half migrate south to the elk refuge in Jackson Hole. You just have to get around in Yellowstone to find elk - even in winter they are everywhere.</p>

<p>Take your longest lens AND USE IT! DO NOT - DO NOT - DO NOT get close to the elk during the rut. The bulls get kinda sideways that time of year and become quite unreasonable at times. If an elk bull you are watching starts to show more whites in his eyes than normal, get out of there immediately - get into a car if you can. Their eyes roll back when they are about to charge. (How do you suppose I know this?)</p>

<p>4 weeks and a trailer - you have no idea how jealous I am! In that amount of time you can get to RMNP, Yellowstone, Glacier - tremendous opportunity. The exact timing of the rut varies a bit with weather - warmer or colder temps can affect it. I suggest you call the ranger station in each park and ask to talk to their wildlife experts, ask them when the rut usually happens, and then whether they think it will happen this year on the usual schedule or perhaps earlier or later. You won't find much better expertise or location-specific knowledge. What you learn can probably tell you the sequence for hitting the parks and the timing.</p>

<p>Have a great time.</p>

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<p>Karen, You didn't say when you were in Yellowstone, but even in 3 days you should have seen lots of elk <strong>IF</strong> you were there during the rut. I'd go back given what you've said you want to shoot. Last half of Sept. into the first part of Oct. is the traditional timing of the rut for elk and moose. Perhaps you take that month and start out in Yellowstone in Mid Sept and finish up in Glacier for fall colors?</p>
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<p>not sure where you're starting your travels, but Waterton National Park in extreme SW Alberta, just over the border from Glacier National Park, would satisfy your interests. I did some research on elk there a few years ago and the elk there attract photographers from across the continent. I saw one guy there who'd travelled from Florida just to photograph the elk. The herd grew steadily from about 100 up to about 800 from September through October. amazing viewing opportunities! plus good chance for bears too. if you were to ever get tired of photographing elk, the relatively small parks packs an impressive concentration of awesome landscape scenery. and fall colors in the montane (valley) areas should be coming into their prime. wherever you end up, have fun!</p>
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<p> Maybe we'll try YSP again, but were sure disappointed when we were then in mid-Sept. last year. We saw one bull and his harem at Mammoth (near the campground and along the river) as we stayed in Gardiner and passed that every day. We drove over 200 miles in the park. Maybe they were all along the Norris-Mammoth road which was closed then. This June saw just three bulls along the Mammoth-Tower road, although the babies & moms at Mammoth were cute. When we were there in 2004 (early July) we saw bulls in a lot more places and numbers. Still in the velvet, of course, because of the dates. Don't want to start a controversy here, maybe we were just looking in the wrong places. <br>

Thanks for the suggestion to call the local rangers. Karen</p>

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<p> Maybe we'll try YSP again, but were sure disappointed when we were then in mid-Sept. last year. We saw one bull and his harem at Mammoth (near the campground and along the river) as we stayed in Gardiner and passed that every day. We drove over 200 miles in the park. Maybe they were all along the Norris-Mammoth road which was closed then. This June saw just three bulls along the Mammoth-Tower road, although the babies & moms at Mammoth were cute. When we were there in 2004 (early July) we saw bulls in a lot more places and numbers. Still in the velvet, of course, because of the dates. Don't want to start a controversy here, maybe we were just looking in the wrong places. <br>

Thanks for the suggestion to call the local rangers. Karen</p>

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<p>We have taken numerous long trips to Yellowston/Grand Tetons and to Glacier in September. We saw the most elk in Yellowstone but one year no big ones showed up until late in the season. Most years the Madison to West Yellowstone road has been the most productive for elk and black bear. Probably The Canyon Intersection was second and then the Mamoth area was third. The problem with Mamoth is that the elk tend to gather on the freshly mowed green lawns and it is hard to get pictures in natural surroundings. Also saw mountain sheep at Mamoth<br>

The point about elk being dangerous cannot be over emphasized. When we were in Mamoth one elk started attacking cars and was punching holes through the sheet metal. We saw him again about a week later and the rangers had sawed his horns off. One elk decided it was more fun poking holes in people that got too close to him and he also got his horns sawed off.<br>

Glacier is a good place for mountain goats and over in Waterton Canada we saw a lot of mountain sheep.<br>

Even if the wildlife doesn't cooperate the scenery is beautiful and worth the trip.</p>

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<p>Karen - As you mentioned, late last year the road was closed between Madison Junction and Norris while a bridge was being replaced. I'm in Idaho Falls and spend most weekends in Yellowstone, and elk are almost always around in the western part of the park. I don't see them around Mammoth as much as I used to. With the road open, however, elk will almost certainly be present along the Gibbon River, the Madison River, the Firehole River, and generally around Yellowstone Lake. Good luck and have fun.</p>
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<p>Looks like we'll head to RMNP sometime around Sept 20-25, then on to the Black Hills, returning via US 90 so we could drop into the north entrance of YNP if we still haven't seen any of the rut. Will probably spend 5-7 days in and around RMNP. Any good places for fall color in or near RMNP? Thanks,</p>
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<p>Fall colors have gotten tougher in RMNP because of the bark beatle devastation. Of course the best colors will be at the aspen tree elevations, but finding a shot without thousands of dead evergreens in the background has gotten tougher. Generally, the beatles have done less damage a little further South, like South of I-70. With five or six days, tour around, but be sure to take in mountains further South, like Mount Evans.</p>

<p>So, close ups in the aspen groves are still a real possibility. Of course, the groves are easy to find because you'll run across them almost everywhere that the altitude is growing quickly. The broad scenics have gotten a lot tougher to find without dead evergreens being prevalent, but your odds get better as you go South of I-70.</p>

<p>You'll be on the early end of the rut.</p>

<p>BTW, the Telluride Photo Festival (Southern Colorado) covers the dates you'll be in Colorado. If you're flexible, you might want to take in part of the festival, including a workshop.</p>

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