Every day I encounter a phenomenon known as an Elk Jam. An Elk Jam is when excited tourists, who we pejoratively call 'elktards', stop in the middle of the road, get out of their cars.. or idle in them, and take pictures of the elk or other -what we parkies consider common- animals and jam up the roadway a few hundred feet or more. These myopic tourists fail to notice the brigade of cars trying to make their way around them. However, usually most people think that something amazing must have stopped the first car, so everyone else follows suit- sometimes running- out of their cars with their cameras to approach the wildlife. Supposedly people have been seen trying to put their grandkids on elk for a ride. Wildlife is wildlife, Rocky Mountain is not a petting zoo... tourists have been eviscerated by elk antlers before. The following picture is of elk crossing the road rather than a tourist caused elk jam.
I understand the excitement that goes along with seeing something new. I also understand the opposite- complacency. For example, I drove through the 25 mph entrance station at 45 on the 4th of July and was pulled over. The attractive young ranger treated me very well and gave me a warning ticket. =)
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