Herd Mentality

Sunday's run up Bergen Peak in Elk Meadow Open Space (10 miles) had a few challenges:

• Cold
• Snowing
• 5-6 inches of fresh snow up high.
• Big ol' herd of elk blocking the trail.

Turned out, none of the above were a big deal. In fact, the new snow made the run very enjoyable. A new dump of snow totally changes the feel of a place. All the familiar rocks are covered. The sharp edges are softened by the blanket of white.  It's quieter. Plus, the peak was socked in.  It was like looking down into a bowl of soup, the cloud cover was so low.

The elk herd that has been hanging around the meadow of late was grazing right on the trail as I was headed home.  I couldn't go around them on the left due to the fence that keeps elk off busy Evergreen Parkway, and I didn't feel like slogging through the snow/grass to go all the way around the herd to the west.  So, I cautiously and in as non-threatening a manner as possible made my way through the middle of the herd. Thankfully, none of the cows and young bulls were too agitated.

Good times.

Thanks.

Every once in a while, usually out of nowhere, I get the urge to say, "thanks."  Just a simple thanks.  Thanks for everything we take for granted.   Thanks for family, friends and good health.  Thanks for clean water, clean air and big chunks of public land. Thanks for the trails. Thanks for good books. Thanks for a great job and great colleagues. Just...thanks...for everything.

Today, that urge to say thanks came during a six-mile tempo run along the Platte River bike path from LoDo. No doubt, the feeling came as a result of the 65-degree, sunny day, combined with the energy surge that came as a result of the lunch run. Oh, and thanks for Illegal Pete's burritos.

Thanks for the Saturday run up the Manitou Incline (30:31).

 Thanks for the run from the top of the Incline to Barr Camp.  And a big thanks to the woman that stepped out to make sure I wasn't too cold in my running shorts.

Thanks to the batteries in my headlamp that lasted just long enough (barely) to see me safely down to the Cog Railway and my car.

Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs from the Ws on the Barr Trail

Thanks to City of Denver voters that early in the 20th Century voted to tax themselves in order to preserve mountain tops, ridge lines and riverways in the foothills. Today, those lands are Denver Mountain Parks.

Thanks to Denver Mountain Parks for buying and protecting Elephant Butte. The views from up there are unmatched in the foothills.

Mt. Evans Group from the top of Elephant Butte

Looking down on Evergreen Lake from Elephant Butte

Thanks to the Mountain Area Land Trust for doing what it can to make sure there's room for elk in the foothills and beyond, even as we squeeze more and more people into their habitat.

This modest sized bull and his harem of cows and yearlings were grazing in our 'hood Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

Elk!

Along with cooler temperatures and yellow aspen leaves, fall brings to Evergreen bull elk and their harems.  Here's a collection of pics of a few of the herds I've spotted around town the last couple of weeks.

And, there's something primal and, at the same time, soothing about hearing the bugling call of bull elk during the rut.  That sound seems to echo through the hills up here.

Next door to the Evergreen Library 

At the entrance to my neighborhood.

At the Hiwan Homestead Museum

Same guy at the Hiwan Homestead Museum