Eagle in the Mist

Winter's breath frosts the landscape outside my window in every shade of white. Snow is lightly drifting falling floating from the sky. Fog creeps slowly through the pines whispering murmuring calling me outside. I can not resist. I love the softness of the world. I bundle up in layers of soft billowy sweaters. Camera in mittenclad hands I step forth from the porch. The dogs race ahead as I wander down the little trail away from our home.

The snow crunches under my heavy boots. I pass by tiny frosted firs glimmering in contrast to the fog shrouded dark pines, and head toward the saddle, a low point on the connecting ridges. With steaming breath held I watch as a single solitary bald eagle appears out of the foggy mist like a ghost bird and silently disappears. Our mission seems accomplished. With frozen fingers and paws, we return home to our warm cabin on the hillside nestled in the tall pines.

Frosted Pines
Chilling and frigid arctic air envelopes the tiny frosted fir tree in a northern Colorado pine forest.
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Eagle Pines
A snowy mountain hillside shrouded in a cold fog is the home of an American bald eagle.
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Cabin in Pines
A cedar sided cabin is perched on a snowy slope and nestled in a pine forest of northern Colorado.
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Wandering with Wapiti

It was a perfect winter day to drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the 50s. Even the wind was not blowing hard which is unusual in the winter months at high altitude. My personal mission was to find wapiti. I asked the friendly ranger at the entrance station where the elk herd was but she did not know. So I drove to one of two places that I knew the herd usually wintered. As I drove down the bumpy dirt road into Moraine Park there was not an elk to be seen. Disappointed I almost turned around to head to the other wintering meadow, Upper Beaver Meadows. Instead I decided to get out of the truck and walk to Cub Lake.

The trail was snow packed and slippery. I had not really intended on bushwhacking, so without gators and crampons, my attention was on my feet. I stopped to take in the view and noticed in the far distance across the meadow was the whole herd of over two hundred animals stretched out in a long line. My excitement rising and ill equipped feet forgotten, I left the trail plunging into knee deep snow and started toward the herd. It took some time to reach them. I approached slowly as I did not want to alarm any dominant males hanging around. Eventually two large bulls spotted me and started in my direction. Being polite, I crouched down behind some brush and waited for them to disregard me. This process went on for awhile and by then the weak winter sun was disappearing behind the ridge casting a lovely light on the river birch behind the herd. I stopped and watched as they all started to bed down for the night. It was a day to remember.

Wapiti Sepia
A dominant bull elk in Rocky Mountain National Park guards his harem protectively, keeping watch as I in turn watch him. This fine art photograph has been altered to give it the look of a vintage photo that could have been taken when Rocky Mountain National Park was first established in 1915.
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Wapiti Dusk
As the sun begins to set behind the nearby moraine in Rocky Mountain National Park the North American wapiti, or elk, begin to settle down for the night as the sunset lights the river birch behind them.
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The Girls
A group of elk cows, one pair looking to be a mother and daughter, watch closely for predators in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
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