In mid-April, Barb and I decided to run out to Rocky Mountain National Park, hoping there would be sufficient snow in the mountain meadows to do some cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. While the snow in those level areas was almost gone when we got there, we still enjoyed hiking, breathing in the fresh mountain air, and viewing the wildlife and scenery. Quite notably, there are tons of elk and mule deer in the park, spilling over into the town of Estes Park - it is evident that more predators would be helpful in restoring the health of the park. As a plus for Estes Park residents, it appears that the deer are doing the lawn mowing for them. In most areas of the national park, healthy groves of aspen and willows are mainly found behind fences that keep the browsers out. A pleasant surprise was to find that moose have found their way over or around intervening mountains from the west to the east side of the park. They are impressive animals that are remnants of the megafauna that roamed this continent in the Pleistocene era.
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