1) Should certain trails, like the SpecimenMountain/ Crater trail, be closed to park visitors during critical wildlife mating/birthing seasons?

Yes. Some people argue that the animals are tame and used to human visitors. Some people say that it’s our park, and we should have free roam. I have also heard the argument that the established trails really don’t go near enough to where the animals tend to congregate – therefore humans aren’t being obtrusive anyway, even if they are there during mating/birthing seasons.

The people (from what I’ve seen) who get their noses out of whack about these trails are generally the people who aren’t going to chase or feed the animals. They just want to be out enjoying the wilderness and our natural resources. And I applaud them.

However, I am reminded of this little sign my mom used to have hanging on the wall in our kitchen when I was a kid. It had a bunch of sticks lined up on it, with an acorn in the middle. The sign read, “There’s one in every crowd!” And how true that is. It’s that one person who ruins a good thing for everyone. Rocky has that ‘one’ visitor to worry about every day. If we take into account how often people approach the elk, or feed the small mammals and birds, or even cut up hillsides to avoid the longer trail routes, we see why the park closes some trails during certain seasons: Not everyone is going to choose appropriate behavior when viewing wildlife. Unfortunately, the park has to be defensive in its choices sometimes. I don’t think that any park manager actually wants to close off areas from the park’s loyal hikers. From another perspective, this is just one more rule that our Park Service doesn’t have the manpower to enforce.

We in Colorado might think it odd, but not everyone understands the concept of wildlife. Big animals are things to be gasped at in zoos. These seemingly docile specimens appear sweet and loveable, just like the family pooch. With as superficial as our society can be, it’s no wonder that people take these animals at face value, without taking time to really get to know what the animals are like.

So while some people might never think about trying to pet the bighorn sheep on Specimen Mountain, you can bet it’s been tried. Maybe not on Specimen, but quite possibly elsewhere.

Interestingly, some of the trail closure critics want total wilderness protection for the park. While I agree with the wilderness designation, I must ask: If you want the wilderness protection, why wouldn’t you support protecting the wildlife now? Would you rather have the park turned into a petting zoo? The lower reaches of Trail Ridge Road often seem that way, at least to me.