Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Full moon in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO - West Horseshoe Park
I arrived in the Horseshoe Park valley of Rocky Mountain National Park around 4:30 AM on a bitter cold morning in January, engulfed in deep darkness. I drove quickly, determined to capture the full moon in between Sundance Mountain and Mount Chapin before it set behind the Mummy Range and a new day dawned. I parked my car on the west side of the valley, grabbed my camera and tripod and set out to find the perfect spot to take the photo. However, within minutes, the bitter cold pierced through my fingers and frostbite started setting in, making my hands go numb and tingly, despite wearing heavy duty winter gloves. The harsh wind beat my face and my nose started going numb as well. I took a few photos and ran back to the car to get warm. I spent the next hour like this, going back and forth from my camera setup and my car about 100 feet away from each other. Decked out in full winter gear, with hand, feet, and body warmers placed all over me, I still was no match for this frigid cold day.
As dawn broke, wildlife began to appear. Mule deer and elk descended down from the forest covered hills, and considering how they just spent the whole night outside in this weather, I watched them with a new found sense of awe and wonder at how they survive such extreme temperatures.
Winter is the longest season and windiest time of the year in Rocky Mountain National Park, occurring between mid-October to May. Historically, March and April are among the snowiest months. Temperatures drop below zero in the winter with winds in the 30-50 mph range and even stronger gusts.
With elevations ranging from 7,800 feet to over 14,000 feet above sea level, winter conditions can greatly vary in the Rocky Mountains. Many animals that live in the alpine terrain (above 11,400 feet) either hibernate (e.g., marmots) or migrate to lower elevations (e.g., bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk).
Mule deer
live throughout western North America as far up as Alaska and as far south as Northern Mexico. They are well-adapted to a variety of habitats, including the harsh, rugged winters of the Rocky Mountains. According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the largest population of mule deer in the world live in Colorado.
Thanks to a combination of physical features and behaviors, mule deer are able to survive in cold climates. Mule deer have thick fur which insulates them and allows them to withstand temperatures as low as -40°F. They use their antlers to remove snow from food sources. They have special hooves that allow them to climb up steep, rocky slopes in search of food and shelter. They seek shelter from the wind and cold under trees and among thickets. They also look for areas with snow that’s not too deep. During winter, mule deer typically migrate to lower elevations in search of food and limit their movement to conserve energy. In the winter, mule deer eat twigs, bark, and other woody plants. However, there are times when even these well-adapted animals do succumb to the extreme winter elements and do not survive. Since the mid-19th century, mule deer populations across the western U.S. have experienced dramatic swings, mainly in response to human activities, drought and severe winters.
Elk, a member of the deer family, are also common in Rocky Mountain National Park and have similar physical features and behaviors that help them survive in cold climates. In the winter, elk, like mule deer, develop a two-layered winter coat. They grow a thick, downy undercoat for insulation and a longer, coarser outer coat with guard hairs that trap air and further insulate. In the winter, they use fat reserves that they build up during the summer and their metabolic rate slows down, which reduces energy expenditure. In the winter, they survive by eating bark and twigs of trees and shrubs.
Elk, which are also called Wapiti, the Shawnee Indian word for “pale deer” almost disappeared from Colorado in the early 1900s due to overhunting. The population dropped down to 500-600 elk. In 1916, in an effort to restore the population, Colorado imported 50 elk from Yellowstone. Today, at over 280,000 animals, Colorado's elk population is the largest in the world. Elk are now considered a species of “Least Concern” on the The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
As winter unfurls and temperatures plummet in Rocky Mountain National Park, animals such as elk and mule deer brave the cold. They have no den or nest. As night falls, they bed down on the ground among the trees, tucked in the snow, awaiting a new dawn and the hope of a new Spring.
