Well, we have begun heading east. We traveled through central Oregon from Eugene to Three Sisters to Burns and Ontario stopping the first night in Boise then on to Crystal Rock, WY and, finally to Ft. Collins, CO. After a bump in the road (aka tire troubles) we set out for our favorite national park – Rocky Mountain National Park. The country we passed through was really varied with canyons, rivers and high desert areas. 
It was wonderful getting back to RMNP, the land of “EP” - elk poop and Estes Park. We stayed in the same campground that we had stayed in back in June. At least there was no snow. The bad thing was that most of the animals were at higher elevations. It was day 5 in the park before we saw the first elk herd. It also meant that every day we’d get in the car and travel many miles exploring the old haunts, which used to produce hundreds of sightings of elk or deer. The only reliable animal sightings this time were the beavers. That is, until an elk herd moved into Moraine Park. The rangers told us about that, so, guess what? We had to go out every night to look for elk in rut. Papa and Mama loved to do that and since we didn’t want to be left behind, we went.
We spent most of our time outside either on a picnic, at a dog park (which was awesome), or playing at the camper while trying to dodge humming birds. Mama and Papa had a great two weeks of relaxing, eating out, and seeing beautiful sites, and hiking. We did eventually see lots of elk. They head down into the valleys for the rutting season, which begins early in September. The last night in the park, Papa and Mom actually heard 3 different bull elks bugling. It is a strange sound the folks said. It’s somewhere between loud mewing and squealing. I think it is a challenge to other bulls saying, “Come and get me. I will blast you to the tundra and back and take all of your cows. I am stronger and bigger and better than you!” Phaedra and I think it is too much testosterone! At least, the females are really in charge – they let the bulls think that they are, but it seems that if the female says “NO!” then the bull has to slink away with his tail between his legs.
The highlights of the 2 weeks were seeing 2 moose after going across the mountain, 2 different sightings of coyotes with one walking right next to the camper, and 2 different sightings of big horn sheep along the rode while we were driving in Big Thompson Canyon. Plus, the elk returning to the lower park was really appreciated by Mama. She was worried that something was going on since all the locals told her that this was a really strange summer with many fewer elk than usual. She really cares about things like that and thinks too much as far as we are concerned!
Last night, our last night here for a couple of years, you won’t believe what we heard! Coyotes were howling and howling! They sounded like nothing we’ve ever heard before. Sure they had the first long howl, but in the middle, there was this plaintive yip, yip, yip. Then, the long howl resumed. There were at least two different groups because we could hear one out of Papa’s window and one out of Mama’s window answering. I stayed alert for a long time after the howling stopped. I kept my ears straight up until Mama said it was all right and I could relax. It was really eerie. They loved it! I’m not so sure I did, though.
Until we meet again...
Zoe and Phaedra
