Nature at its Best

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorite parks around (along with State Forest State Park). Through the years, I've done lots of hiking, camping, fishing, cross-country skiing and photographing there—with and without my kids (who are now in college). I was set to camp in my popup camper in Moraine Park over the weekend, and then by mid-week, the weather was looking nasty. So... I take the easy way out, dump the camping reservation, and instead snag a condo with fireplace overlooking Fall River for the weekend. Heck yeah.

Friday afternoon I go for a drive through Moraine Park and come across a herd of around 75 elk, mostly cows and calves. I slowly walk up into some trees where I can watch and photograph them.

Some calves are crying, others are nursing. And the mamas are grazing and keeping an eye on their young.

A few in the group start moving across the Big Thompson River. The water would be maybe knee-deep for me, so the cows have no trouble crossing. But the calves, who are just weeks old, have more difficulty. It's a bit nerve-racking to watch this, but I nonetheless continue to enjoy and photograph the herd.

Then all of the sudden, a calf starts screaming in a terrified and panicked way. I see that one of the small calves has lost its footing while trying to cross the river and is flailing and floating down river, struggling to keep its head above water. Within seconds, some 8 or 10 nearby cows run toward the screaming calf. Several jump in the river while the others run along the banks. Four cows manage to reach the calf in the water, quickly surround it, and nose it up to the bank. The calf is disoriented and pretty wobbly, but it succeeds in making its way back up in the grass.

I'm not going to try to put into words what it was like to witness such an extraordinary thing. But suffice it to say, it got to my core. I have two children. I'd go to any lengths to protect them and of course, rescue them if they were ever in danger. And I'd do the same for anyone else's kids. Anywhere. Anytime.

The weekend continued to be a fabulous one in the park. And with the heavy rains, thunder, lightning, hail and snow that ensued, I had a wonderful time in front of the fireplace in my condo, too. Popup camper, I'll catch you next time.