RMNP Suggestions for Small Children / Feeble Adults?

[theGinsue]

Mrs. Ginsue & I just got back from our annual Estes Park day trip.

OFFICIAL TRIP REPORT FOLLOWS

Don't get off the boat , man.

Bring food & water. Prepare for the line of traffic going up there

I can't imaging the traffic, up there, this weekend.

Hope ya had a good time.

Oh dear heavens gents, you really have no idea how bad it was. I've never dealt with it this bad. Usually it takes about 20 minutes to get into Estes from Lyons; today it took an hour and a half. The good news is that most of the traffic was bound for the Scots Festival on the incoming (lake) side of town. The traffic through the shopping district and to/through the park was lighter than normal by a small margin. We've been up there during the Scots Fest a few times but never seen traffic like this; DAMN! For the second year in a row there were no elk on the golf course when we came through.

Mrs. Ginsue got a little bit of shopping in downtown before we entered RMNP and we grabbed lunch at the Grubsteak.

While we saw a few elk in other places, Moraine Park (as always) was where we saw 2 nice herds with 5 or six HUGE bulls between them and a few spikes mixed in with the cows/calfs. Unfortunately, due to the multiple high fences the Park folks have put in, these 2 herds never got closer than about 500 yards. Thank heavens I brought a few pair of binoculars with me. I did get to see a 5x5 with 2 cows about 20' fom the road about 1/2 way between the overlook to Horseshoe Park & Horseshoe Park itself. I stopped and got out & glassed them for a few minutes before moving on. More folks stopped and spooked them away. Right at the entrance onto the unpaved road leading to the Upper Beaver Meadows Trailhead there was a nice 6x6 with 2 cows & 2 calfs. They wanted to cross the paved road (36). One cow & calf made it, but as the bull was trying to herd the remaining cow & calf and get himself across the road incoming traffic (including 2 Harleys whose riders felt it necessary to demonstrate the loudness of their pipes) kept pushing closer, so the elk re-adjusted down about 20 yards and tried again. This process continued (with the elk running right past me & the SUV I was standing next to [with traffic I had no place I could safely go that wouldn't disturb the elk even more]) until the elk were finally able to cross about 400 yards down the road from where they first tried. The whole time the idiot drivers (and Harley riders) failed to give them room and followed them closely. Not sure what finally broke to allow the elk to cross as I couldn't see through all of the traffic. Dumb asses. Didn't see as many elk this year as we normally do though - probably too hot for them to come out of the trees

Besides traffic to & from Estes Park/RMNP it was a good day overall. We're seriously considering making reservations now (or as soon as they open) for a camping site for a few days/week next year. Might even do one of those guided horseback rides through the Park and in some places they have restricted to hiking. Haven't been on a horse in 31 years and it didn't end well back then.

BTW: I have a lifetime pass into National Parks but they have a new "automated pass" I asked the RMNP gate toll taker about it and she "checked to see if my pass was setup for automated", it wasn't. Anyone know how to get a pass setup as an automated pass? I would have asked the lady @ the gate, but there was a line behind me and I didn't want to hold things up.

[Ah Pook]

Oh dear heavens gents, you really have no idea how bad it was. I've never dealt with it this bad.

Oh yes I do. Try driving through Nederland on any Sat or Sun, in the summer. Stalled traffic and 1/4 mile long lines is not uncommon.

Glad y'all had a good time. That is a pretty area.