Day Four - Elk and More in Estes Park

Friday started with another solo hike at Hollowell Park trailhead, another spot that was likely to be overlooked in the park and therefore favored by a gal like me who likes the trail mostly to herself.

When I pulled in it was almost 7:00 in the morning and the light was perfect.

I mean, look at this!

I shot that one hand held with my 55-250mm lens, a real winner for its light weight and zoom capability.   I just returned the 300mm lens because even though it is a "better" lens I can't shoot with it handheld and it is HEAVY.  If you shoot on a tripod go ahead and spend the $1300.00, I'm just too lazy and impatient to fiddle around with that much equipment.

I also was missing the adapter for my tripod so the picture above I shot using my hiking stick that doubles as a monopod.  Keep it simple, that's my motto.

The trail starts out in a meadow and then starts moving up into lightly forested hillside along lovely Mill Creek.  It was nice to hear the water burbling, a good distraction from my lungs struggling to breathe the thin air as I hiked slowly uphill.

I hiked about 1.5 miles before turning around and heading back down.  But not before using the monopod again to get a portrait style shot of myself as I caught my breath.  Not looking too bad for a gray haired lady in the woods!

Later that day Cory and I walked through Estes Park in search of Pokemon (more on that later) and were charmed by the Riverwalk which featured a tile mural.

And in addition to the benches for resting there were instruments to play as well.

Across the street at the library a car show was in progress.

And just up the road behind our campground the elk were hanging out in the shade.  I couldn't wait to grab Wayne and show him the big stag hanging out with his ladies.

We were on our way out of the RV park to go see them where I thought they were and discovered they had made their way down to see us instead.

The elk are much too comfortable around people, most dogs are more leery of strangers than these guys are.  And the stag was positively in love with the stand of aspen.

Wayne had to be reminded that even though there were trees in between him and that stag he was standing much too close and likely to put himself in danger.

We finally got neighbors on Friday afternoon and when I got a look at our new situation I made the decision that we needed to leave a day early.

To me it was worth forfeiting the $55 and moving on down the road to avoid another 24 hours of too close for comfort style camping.  There is nothing relaxing about the situation pictured below.

Besides, while we enjoyed out time in Estes Park it wasn't as attractive to us as other places we have been to and we felt like we had seen enough.  Here's a video of Mill Creek and the elk scratching his face and antlers on the tree.  Music by Shake that Little Foot titled "Lark in the Clear Air".