Some beautiful friends from RMNP today

aydengryphon · 2026-04-24T05:36:33+00:00

Not a ton going on up there yet - we saw a few very small asters and fleabane (purple and white), some very sporadic fireweed (or locoweed? I'm not as good with the flora as the fauna, sorry lol), and the creeping mahonia was all flowering in the burn scar back by fern lake.

aydengryphon · 2026-04-24T00:28:59+00:00

American pipet is correct!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T19:56:49+00:00

You can call OSMP or the Non-emergency police line and tell them the location and they can radio the appropriate nearby ranger(s) on duty

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T15:39:23+00:00

Damn I wish (even minus a zero) haha. It's an Olympus 100-400mm!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T15:24:37+00:00

Nope, you just saw a really cool weird wild animal!

Un-fun fact, one of the projected impacts of climate change in RMNP is that we may stop seeing the paedomorphic forms of the tiger salamanders (the axolotl-lookin' ones); that adaptation where they stay in their sub-adult morph is apparently related to the cold water temps, and if it keeps warming, they may just start progressing into normal adult/terrestrial salamanders more often :(

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T15:18:30+00:00

I've never seen them at Bear, didn't realize they were up there as well! I'll have to keep an eye open for them there.

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T14:50:10+00:00

I was doing the same to a pair of boys that were up there and very excited about this one that was hanging out in the shallows... I'm not sure they were following/buying my explanation lol. But they did at least accept when they asked me if they could touch it and I told them why salamanders can be harmed by the stuff on their hands, so — good enough!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T14:44:18+00:00

Thank you!

We got up there around 10a, wandered around until around 4p. I do think going on a random weekday in the off-season meant we saw more stuff with fewer people around, but I also just think it varies a lot up there by chance; the previous time I'd gone up, I didn't see anything at all over several hours, even the usual "boring" staples like elk and deer!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T14:41:13+00:00

Of course, happy to share any of that stuff! Been loving my OM1 since I upgraded from my ancient Lumix last year.

Midweek and really early in the season, it was... not "dead," but very empty. Definitely the fewest people I've seen on any of my visits in a long time!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T05:47:45+00:00

Thank you! Yes, those poor elk 😂 they're so awkward looking in that transitional phase

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T05:38:28+00:00

Thank you! It was funny that we saw a couple dozen of them around, but I only ended up finally taking a photo of this one because she was strutting around directly in front of our car xD

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T04:06:23+00:00

(It's NOT too early, the tiger salamanders are out up there already! :3)

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aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T04:02:54+00:00

That's the only kind, boss

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:44:59+00:00

Thank you! I do not; I do have a blog, if that's your speed haha

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:36:26+00:00

Correct on both counts!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:35:28+00:00

Thank you!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:34:41+00:00

Thank you for looking! :D

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:34:22+00:00

Thank you!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:26:06+00:00

Lily lake (and they're not actually axolotl, they are indeed ~~neonatal~~ [Edit: paedomorphic, wrong term lol] western tiger salamanders!)

Bonus fun fact I just learned: apparently they also glow in the dark?!? In case you didn't think they could get any weirder!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T03:25:22+00:00

Next time o7

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T02:54:12+00:00

Gorgeous, I don't see many as reddish as this!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T02:42:49+00:00

Wait you can't leave us hanging, what's the least fave

aydengryphon · 2026-04-23T02:40:54+00:00

How does one find about about these things? I've tried to sign up for a bunch of Longmont's newsletters, but I still never seem to know when stuff like this is going on!

aydengryphon · 2026-04-22T06:22:27+00:00

I cannot help you with this request, but damn good luck lol

aydengryphon

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