Metro to Mountain Journal

We are so fortunate to be able to take two month long trips during the summer. Living in the wilds (or at least close to the wilds) we happen upon wildlife almost daily. When we spot wildlife, we generally stop, watch, and perhaps take a photo. We love to see wildlife and do our best not to disturb them, afterall, we are the visitors.

Now, for a look at the some of the wildlife we saw on our summer vacation ...

The above moose was sort of special to us. We saw him in a high meadow returning from Timber Lake. He had one white tipped antler.

Elk #3 visited us at the Timber Creek Campground on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). You know how the old saying goes - the grass is always greener in the campground.

We saw this badger in Mary's Lake Campground in Estes Park. He was very busy hunting. This was our first ever badger sighting.

We passed these mule deer above Lawn Lake on the way to Mount Fairchild.

We met this marmot at Granite Pass below the Boulderfield on Longs Peak. He was quite a poser. We were hiking the North Longs Peak Trail.

In the Tetons, bison regularly blocked the main road to Gros Ventre Campground. Local residents would just drive through the herds, but visitors, like us, waited for the beasts to pass.

This young doe spent an afternoon at our Jenny Lake campsite. She was not afraid of us, but we gave her no reason to be. She bedded down close to our tent.

A sage grouse fluffed his feathers for us on the trail to Garnet Canyon in the Tetons.

These elk were laying in a field near the Estes Park Library. They were really big.

The black bear outside Mont Bell in Boulder was the only bear we saw all summer. I don't remember the last time we didn't see a bear, especially in the Tetons. Amy liked it that way!

Happy Wildlife trails

Wildlife - Youngsters Class of 2013