What do you do when a huge bull elk stands in the road, on your only way up a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park? (Oh, and by the way, the car that did try to pass was attacked.)
What you do is wait. You put your car in park and wait… and take photos!
We are in Estes Park Colorado for our Rocky Mountain Fall Photography Workshops! Gail and I come up a couple of days early to scope out the area, check water flow levels in the rivers, look for wildlife, check on the status of the coming Fall colors. Here are a few pre-workshop photos I took over the past couple of days.
It’s mating season up here, and you’ll see the male elk gathering females into their individual ‘harems.’ And the males exercise their “manhood” around other males, to get them to keep their distance.
Big bull elk in the upper elevations, at 11,000 feet.
Magpies taking flight in Moraine Park
The Fall colors are just barely starting to “turn” in the park. You have to know where to look to find them! The colors will continue to turn over the next couple of weeks. 
We had a close encounter with this big fella. In fact we were out looking for him, but he found us first! He was upon us before we even saw him, so we moved to a safe distance quickly and cautiously. This is not his best angle, but you can at least appreciate the size if this bull moose. Bull moose can weigh as much as 1500 pounds! 
Looking forward to leading our 2019 Fall Workshops over this next week! Our 2019 Rocky Mountain Workshops have been sold out for months! Registration is now open for 2020! Note that our 2020 workshops are already half full with some options already sold out! So, now is the time to register, while also taking advantage of early registration discounts that can save you up to $400!
Happy Picture Taking!
Kevin Gourley
So cool! Can’t wait to get there. Thanks for sharing. I hope those leaves start changing soon!
I hope so! This whole 2nd half of the year is shifted a bit. Spring sort of spilled over into Summer with lots of snow still in the upper elevations, and then Summer has lingered on a little longer. The weather is absolutely spectacular up here right now. No matter the time of year, the photo opportunities are fabulous!
Awesome! Glad you didn’t tangle with this bull moose. He looks huge. Everyday is a good day in RMNP with Kevin!