An Elk Paparazzi

Yogi Bear was smarter than the average bear. Rudolf the red nosed reindeer could fly. So why does it surprise me when an elk goes
for a swim and then takes a hike to dry off?

I took a hike to Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park in late September on an unseasonably warm day. When I arrived at the lake, I found people fishing and eating lunch andsoaking their feet in the water. I set up my tripod to take some pictures and eves dropped on several conversations about not falling into the lake when the people were wading around in it.

I then moved on along the shore line to my own private rock outcropping to continue to take pictures. I was getting a little bored of sunning myself like a marmot when all of a sudden something caught my eye in the distance. It was a big bull elk and he was crossing the lake.

The big guy moved from a shallow spot to some deeper water submerging his entire body with his rack of antlers bobbing up and down as he swam. He came to another shallow spot, rose up out of the water, and shook his coat like a dog. He then made a beeline for a rock platform on the shoreline and hoisted himself out of the water like an Olympic athlete getting out of a pool.

I was stunned at my luck. I had the tripod set up and was leisurely clicking away as he performed for me. At one point, the bull appeared
to be looking right at me for some reason. When he removed himself from the lake and started advancing toward me on the path around the lake, I was sure he was coming for me. Other people had started to follow him down the trail like he was the Pied Piper.

What a sight this was. A huge bull elk walking right down the trail after taking a swim. Then, a couple of women appeared next to me on my rock outcropping. They were more than a little concerned with the developing situation. They asked me what we should do if the big guy makes a hard right turn and charges us.

I reasoned that we could all jump in the lake, but after seeing him swim, that didn’t seem like a safe option either. As he approached, the sound of his hooves reminded me of a Clydesdale horse in a Budweiser commercial. My camera was still set up, so I risked it and tried to take his picture.

The first shot was blurry. It reminded me of those pictures when an animal rushes the photographer and this is the last thing he saw before he was trampled. The second shot was clear and eerily massive as he filled the lens. The third shot was of his rear end as he continued on past us down the trail.

After my heart rate calmed down, I decided to call it a day and head back down the trail. I was deep in thought enjoying my hike down when all of a sudden the elk reappeared and tried to ambush me from behind a big boulder. Stunned, I was like, “whoa big guy” and high tailed it backwards around to another big rock nearby. My tactic worked and he gave up his charge and crossed the trail to move on up into the brush.

After calming down again, I went after him and scolded him from the trail. “What’s your problem Bud?” He was rubbing his antlers on some trees and gave me a look as if to say, “What? You think I like all you people gawking at me and trying to take my picture all the time?”

It was then that I realized I had officially become an elk paparazzi.