September 27, 2026
With an entry pass to Rocky Mountain National Park in our e-wallet last Sunday, we headed west into the mountains, eager to see aspens turning gold and bugling elk.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Bingo! A big bull elk near the park entrance stopped traffic as he marched across the road.
Safely across
Old Fall River Road
We puttered up Old Fall River Road, an 11-mile-long gravel road that switchbacks its way up to Fall River Pass at 11,796 feet.
The aspens here weren’t as showy as the ones we saw at Guanella Pass two weeks ago, but we found some good patches.
Ta-da
We stopped at a pullout at Chasm Falls…
…and walked down to admire the cascade.
A nice waterfall
More aspens turning gold
The drought is impacting Colorado’s famous fall color, with some aspens turning tan instead of gold and most of them turning earlier than usual. We were glad to see what we could, and like all Coloradans we’re hoping for a snowy winter (gulp) to offset the drought.
Elk in Estes Park
At the end of the day, we stopped at Lake Estes Golf Course to see the elk that take ownership during the fall rut. Walking the path along the river, we saw one big bull watching over his harem — and wary golfers eyeballing him as they passed.
Was this the famous Smash, an Estes Park elk known for ramming golf carts and passing cars on the road?
We watched for a while, but he didn’t give chase to anything but cow elk, rounding them up whenever one strayed. He was bugling though!
Mostly they rested.
Farther along the course we found another big bull with his harem. He was lounging too but screamed a bugle from time to time. We watched from a distance, next to trees we could get behind if needed, and I photographed with a telephoto lens.
As the sun dropped low, they grew restless, and the bull got to his knees. In bull elk fashion, he let loose a stream of urine and coated himself with it.
Ah, the ladies are gonna love this cologne.
He thrashed his antlers against the turf, picking up chunks of grass.
Decorated and fragrant
Maybe one more wallow in his own scent
Ah, perfect
Finally he got to his feet and bugled again before wandering off to haze away a couple of other bulls.
As we headed back, we saw the first bull had left his harem, crossed a bridge, and was issuing challenges to the second bull. Sound up for the call and response.
With other elk-watchers we stood next to a concrete shed for safety and watched him strut and bugle. At last he trotted back to his own herd.
Majestic and he knows it
Re-crossing the bridge with a tea-kettle bugle and a urine stream to mark his turf
Back on guard
I welcome your comments. Please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading in an email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. And hey, did someone forward this email to you, and you want to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered directly to your inbox!
__________________________
Digging Deeper
“Gardens of Texas is not your typical door stop/coffee table book filled with beautiful images of gardens you can never hope to achieve. The photography is definitely inspiring, but Pam’s thoughtful, detailed storytelling and “Try This At Home” features…makes one feel empowered to create similar garden magic….This is what I’ll curl up with on late August afternoons when the mercury in Austin soars and I’m stuck indoors.”
–MomInAustin, a reviewer on Amazon
Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State is here! It’s for anyone who loves gardens or the natural beauty of Texas. Find it on Amazon, other online book sellers, and in stores everywhere. More info here.
All material © 2026 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
