The Mountain Thread | Estes Park | October 1, 2026 |
 |
BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD
Moe wanted to know whether a bugling contest has a quiet division.
I told him we'd both qualify if he'd stop asking questions.
Elk Fest is October 3 and 4. There's a human contest on the program and a whole lot of actual elk business going on outside it. The difference matters.
The park's meadow closures still apply, and Glacier Gorge has a break in its repair schedule for the weekend. Details below.
SIT DOWN. THIS ONE'S GOOD.
|
Why Are People Bugling in Bond Park?
The town put it on the program.
Moe asked whether I was entering the bugling contest at Elk Fest.
I told him I hadn't spent this many years making a fool of myself for free to start doing it on a schedule.
The Town of Estes Park lists a contest among the wildlife exhibits, music and storytelling for October 3 and 4. Admission is free. The elk weren't consulted about any of this.
Moe said that seemed fair. They don't consult us before starting.
There's something I like about a town willing to put that on an event page. You can learn about wildlife and listen to somebody attempt the noise in the same visit. One requires curiosity. The other requires a willingness to be recognized at the grocery store afterward.
Moe wanted to know how a person prepares.
I suggested starting with the part where you stand quietly and listen. He said that didn't sound competitive.
It isn't. That's why I thought we might be good at it.
Who Was Samson, and Why Does Estes Park Still Care?
If you've heard the name but never the story, pull up a chair.
Samson was a huge bull elk who spent his winters around the YMCA of the Rockies. Staff and visitors got used to seeing him return. In a town full of elk, this one became a familiar face.
In Colorado Life, writer Sarah Holdt spoke with YMCA staff who remembered those visits. You get the sense that seeing Samson again was part of the season, like the first snowfall.
Then, on November 11, 1995, a poacher killed him on the YMCA grounds. People who had watched him year after year were heartbroken and angry.
But Samson's story didn't end that November....
Read More... |
FROM BUCK'S MAILBAG
Last week's elk story brought an Elkhorn Lodge memory back to the table.
Susan H. sent a note after last week's story about the elk brought here from Yellowstone. She used to work at The Elkhorn Lodge and remembers the old elk mounts in the main building, along with the history she learned there.
Her note sent me looking for a little more of that story. Sure enough, the Elkhorn had a part in the elk's homecoming. According to the park's administrative history, the elk brought here in 1913 traveled by train to Lyons, then by truck to the Elkhorn corral before their release.
Getting them here took some organizing. The National Park Service credits the local improvement association and the U.S. Forest Service with bringing Yellowstone elk to the valley in 1913 and 1914.
One detail is worth keeping straight: elk had disappeared from the Estes Valley, but they hadn't vanished from all of Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says a small number survived elsewhere in the state.
Susan also passed along a story about Theodore Roosevelt's involvement. I haven't found enough to confirm his part, or the history of those old mounts. I don't know whether the mounts are still there, either. There may be another story waiting in that lodge.
Thanks, Susan. A good reader keeps a story going after the last paragraph.
Reader note: Susan H., September 25, 2026. Recollections paraphrased; historical sources linked above. |
THIS WEEKEND
Elk Fest runs October 3 and 4. The Town's event page lists Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission. Expect wildlife exhibits, Native American music and storytelling, vendors, live entertainment and a bugling contest. Check the organizer's page for the current program before heading downtown.
The calls belong at the contest, not beside a wild herd. Enjoy the festival, then keep your wildlife watching quiet. The Park Service prohibits calls used to attract wildlife. A bull doesn't know you were only practicing.
Next weekend: Pumpkins & Pilsners on October 10. The Estes Park Education Foundation's festival returns to Bond Park, with proceeds supporting the school district's students, teachers and staff. That's next weekend, not this one. Check the foundation's program. |
Trivia Question❓An elk has two upper teeth with a name you might expect to hear at a jewelry counter. What are they called? Answer at the bottom of the newsletter |
| ★★★★★ |
|
|
|
 Estes Park forecast, October 1–8, 2026. Source: AccuWeather, checked September 29. Tap the image for the latest forecast. |
RMNP UPDATE
The meadow closures run through October 31. The 2026 park compendium restricts off-road and off-trail foot travel in designated portions of Horseshoe Park, Moraine Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, Harbison Meadow and Holzwarth Meadow from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Fishing in the affected river sections is restricted during those hours too. Follow the posted boundaries.
Glacier Gorge gets a weekend break from repairs. The Park Service's September 9 notice says the parking area and trailhead reopen October 2 through 4, then close again October 5 through 8. During the work, use Bear Lake Trailhead for access to Alberta Falls, Mills Lake and Loch Vale.
Timed entry still applies this weekend. Standard reservations cover 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October 12. The Bear Lake Road version covers 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 18. An entrance pass is a separate requirement. Check the Park Service's reservation details.
Three jurisdictions, three fire-rule checks. Rocky Mountain National Park lists Stage 1, with campfires restricted to designated rings in frontcountry campgrounds and picnic areas. Estes Valley Fire lists Stage 1. Larimer County's September 10 notice extends Stage 1 in unincorporated areas through November 3. Check the rules for the place you're actually standing; where districts overlap, follow the stricter restrictions.
Call before driving over the top. Check the park's road-status page or Trail Ridge Road's recorded line, 970-586-1222, before leaving. A pleasant forecast in town doesn't settle conditions at elevation. |
DID YOU KNOW?
A mountain chickadee can save lunch for later. These little birds hide seeds and use spatial memory to find their food again. University of Nevada, Reno researchers studied that ability in mountain chickadees and found better memory was associated with longer lives. That bird leaving with a seed might be running an errand.
A pika stocks its winter pantry instead of sleeping through it. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the National Park Service describe pikas gathering plants into stores often called haypiles. They're active year-round. A small animal with a very serious grocery problem.
The yellow in an aspen leaf wasn't added overnight. Yellow pigments are present during the growing season, masked by green chlorophyll. As that green fades, the yellow becomes easier to see. Rocky's fall-color guide and Iowa State University Extension explain the chemistry. The tree didn't need a fresh coat of paint. |
Joke Of The Day |
What do you call making elk noises in front of strangers?
In this town, an organized activity.
(The Town's October 3 and 4 Elk Fest listing includes a bugling contest.) |
💡 Answer to Trivia Question: Ivories. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife both use that name for the elk's two upper teeth. |
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
Moe said he might enter the quiet division after all.
I told him he was already disqualified.
Enjoy Elk Fest. Keep some room between you and the animals, and leave October 10 open if Pumpkins & Pilsners sounds like your kind of afternoon.
Stay smart, stay safe, and leave the mountains with more heard and less hollered.
Buck Timber
|
 |
FROM BUCK'S MAILBAG
Last week's elk story brought an Elkhorn Lodge memory back to the table.
Susan H. sent a note after last week's story about the elk brought here from Yellowstone. She used to work at The Elkhorn Lodge and remembers the old elk mounts in the main building, along with the history she learned there.
Her note sent me looking for a little more of that story. Sure enough, the Elkhorn had a part in the elk's homecoming. According to the park's administrative history, the elk brought here in 1913 traveled by train to Lyons, then by truck to the Elkhorn corral before their release.
Getting them here took some organizing. The National Park Service credits the local improvement association and the U.S. Forest Service with bringing Yellowstone elk to the valley in 1913 and 1914.
One detail is worth keeping straight: elk had disappeared from the Estes Valley, but they hadn't vanished from all of Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says a small number survived elsewhere in the state.
Susan also passed along a story about Theodore Roosevelt's involvement. I haven't found enough to confirm his part, or the history of those old mounts. I don't know whether the mounts are still there, either. There may be another story waiting in that lodge.
Thanks, Susan. A good reader keeps a story going after the last paragraph.
Reader note: Susan H., September 25, 2026. Recollections paraphrased; historical sources linked above. |