Bighorn Sheep in Endovalley

One of our favorite spots is Endovalley at the entrance to the Fall River Road. As we approached the area we noted a number of people pointing up into the rocks on the side of the hill at the base of a mountain. We looked up to the scene below.

A majestic group of 9-10 bighorn sheep stood overlooking the valley. Annette grabbed the video camera, and Larry picked up his camera and extra memory cards.

We spent the next couple hours just enjoying these beautiful creatures. We could identify the leaders and the followers. It was also fun to identify the older and younger bighorns.

As we spent more time with the group we began to see individual personalities emerge. It was amazing how focused we became on their lives. We wondered what they were thinking as they gazed down on us looking up at them.

Drive Home

On the way back to our motorhome we stopped to watch elk in Morraine Park. Most of the elk babies have been born. The mother's (elk cows) group their calves together for protection. They will be heading to the high mountain forests and meadows soon. However a park ranger shared that in recent years an increasing number of elk stay in or near Estes Park year round. Others are moving further down into the eastern slope areas, foothills, and the neighboring plains areas (near Loveland and Fort Collins) reminding us that elk once inhabited the prairies instead of the mountains.