I have always wanted to shoot a moose… with my camera. They are huge animals which can be aggressive and dangerous. They are also majestic and fearless, qualities I have always admired.
A few years ago, I freaked out and fumbled with my phone as a cow and her calf pranced by the liftline in Breckenridge. By the time I pulled off my mittens to take the shot, they had dashed into the forest.
Last Friday night, Danny and I walked the Pearl Street in Boulder after dinner. We stopped in a shop and I overheard a conversation about a moose encounter. The man and his wife had dropped off their daughter at CU and then hiked Brainard Lake, about forty-five minutes away in the mountains.
“I want to see a moose,” I whined like a two-year-old.
He pulled out his phone and showed me the extraordinary photos of a bull moose whose antlers were in velvet. Can you imagine stumbling over them in the spring? Whoa…
I Jonesed for a moose encounter, but Danny planned to play golf on Saturday afternoon. He doesn’t doesn’t have the opportunity very often. He had a meeting on Sunday. Hiking would have to wait.
With rising temperatures Saturday morning along with smoke from Western fires, he hoped to finish some yard work in the morning while I hosted a Drop and Hop Party on my blog.
Then divine intervention occurred.
He cut his right hand with the hedge trimmer. I sent him to Urgent Care and then found out how it happened. I won’t laugh because the last time, this happened…
After four stitches (only a flesh wound between his index finger and thumb) he was told to skip tennis and golf for the next ten days.
Now the afternoon was WIDE OPEN!
“You want to hike Brainard Lake?” he asked.
“Yes!” I abandoned my party. We packed water and snacks in one backpack and then stuffed jackets into another. We drove up Lefthand Canyon.
Like we had expected, the temperature was in the low 70’s. There were others hiking, but it wasn’t crowded like Rocky Mountain National Park. That place is a zoo in the summer.
We hiked on a trail through the aspen and evergreen forest up a thousand feet to another small lake in the high alpine environment.
It was ablaze with wildflowers.
We avoided loud conversationalists and listened for breaking branches. A dude with a boom box passed us with his posse. Okay. This is a wilderness area and the third time this year someone has blared music while hiking. What are they thinking?
I had to say something this time.
“Dude. Although I appreciate that your music is turned down to a reasonable level, this is a place where people go for peace and quiet. You should turn it off.”
The group kept walking. He yelled something back at me. I think he said, “Thanks! Have a nice day.” Pshh.
The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. I didn’t want to get caught in a storm. It was hard to tell what kind of weather was afoot with all the smoke. We turned around.
Most people had headed home before us. Dusk approached sooner with the height of the mountains blocking the sun.
Then I heard it. The snap of a branch. Then another.
It was a cow and her calf. This time, I didn’t freak. I took a few pictures, but they spotted us and headed in the other direction.
Do you see her?
How about now? Do you see the calf’s legs
I was so excited to get a shot of a moose. I didn’t fumble this time.
While walking back to the parking lot, we took a wrong turn. Look who we ran into? Yes. A bull moose muncher.
I snapped pictures until my fingers became numb. It had dropped twenty degrees in the three hours we hiked.
There were several photographers, a young family and hikers who stopped to admire this amazing creature. He never lifted his head. The moose lived up to its reputation of being majestic and fearless. Everyone gave him his space, so his other known qualities weren’t challenged. Whew.
What started out as a setback ended in a very good day.
This is a response to the Weekly Photo Challenge.
Fabulous! Apart from the injury. I sure wish we had hiking trails in mountains here.
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Thanks, Catherine! He’s at the itchy stage, but doing really well.
That seems odd that you don’t have hiking trails. Bring a compass and strike out on your own! Make sure you have cell service, just in case….
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That had to be so amazing. I love the wild and I would be spell bound if I saw that. Thank you for sharing a rare moment.
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Thanks so much! I used “the secret” and imagined running into them. It was still a huge surprise, especially the bull. Good thing for making wrong turns!
I hope you stop by again soon!
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The only moose I have gotten a picture of was one who photobombed a shot of some ducks on the river. 😀📷
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That is so hilarious! Did you see it when you took the photo or after you arrived home and were going through your shots?
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It was when we got to the hotel that night and I was looking at the pictures. Of course, it immediately went on Facebook!
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Lol Susie! I’m sorry that your husband injured himself but I’m glad that you were able to get those shots! ❤
Diana xo
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Thanks, Diana! I was pretty freaked out when he told me what he did. It makes me cringe thinking of what could have happened. He was a great sport. That was a hike to remember!
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So cool, Susie — I’m envious. My family and I come to Maine as often as possible and we’re always on the lookout for moose (meeses). No luck so far!
But good for you and terrific pictures!
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Thanks Elyse!
It was around dusk. The bull didn’t seem to care about the number of people around. Kids were hooting and hollering from a picnic nearby and he never looked up. The cow was waaay more skittish. I bet you’ll see one some day! Listen for branches breaking….
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Fantastic! We came upon the most handsome bull moose near Grand Lake last August. We admired him for at least 30 minutes while he feasted on vegetation in a small pond and I snapped more photos than I can count. Always nice to find a beautiful trail to enjoy. Those leaves should be changing soon.
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I bet that was amazing! I would have taken tons of photos too. I love capturing moments like those. Good thing we have a blog where we can share them.
The leaves are lightening up a bit. Soon I’ll be out capturing the gold!
Thanks for stopping by, Ingrid!
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I’ve got 2 weeks at Cherry Creek SP booked starting on the 13th. So I hope to capturing that Colorado gold myself 🙂
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Congratulation on your captures! It must have taken your breath away.
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It did. I stayed calm this time. Yay! Fritzing out is a bad habit I’m trying really hard to break.
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Your pictures are beautiful! What a breathtaking capture! Good thing you kept your distance or you might have had moose tracks all over you.
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The only kind of moose tracks anyone should experience should be in a bowl! Ha! There were a lot of twists and turns on the trail, so I’m sure many hikers have come face to face with them. Whoa. That would be a story!
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I’m envious. There were ‘moose crossing’ signs everywhere on the Ontario part of our trip, but nary a one to be seen.
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I bet they were in the woods watching you drive by. Their coats blend into the landscape. We got lucky!
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MOOOOOSE! Nothing more fun than to stumble across one – with enough distance that you aren’t perceived as a threat. The moms with babies like you say are a tad skittish, but unless it’s dating season, the big guys seem pretty self-confident and tolerant…but still keeping a distance. Remarkable pictures! (It’s always a surprise when you start out on a sunny CO hike in short sleeves and end up in sweatshirt and jacket wondering just how fast frost bite sets in… Animals coming down early this fall?)
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You know it! Animals are foraging big time, so I’m predicting an early winter. There are wooly caterpillars everywhere and the squirrels are going nuts. We’re hiking again today. I wonder what we’ll discover this time!
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You should come to Anchorage during the winter! There’s lots of moose 😀 I miss seeing them, now that I live in Seattle. I love that you called the male a muncher… I feel like that’s all moose do all day, munch!
Definitely don’t want to get between that momma and baby though…
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I would love to go to Anchorage. When’s the best time to visit?
That bull was all, “Nom, nom, nom…” and didn’t seem too perturbed that we watched. Good thing!
Thanks for stopping by! How are the fires in Washington? The smoke finally cleared out of our state.
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Hopefully better after yesterday’s storm but I haven’t heard yet.
The best time to visit for enjoying the weather is summer (especially May and July in my opinion). If you like snowboarding/skiing and northern lights and don’t care as much about tourist attractions then Feb/early March probably. And if you go early March you can catch the Iditarod! Which is always exciting 🙂
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Thanks for the info! Keep on dancing for rain….
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Very cool… I want to see a moose too
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They’re loose and could be in a forest near you!
Thanks for stopping by!
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It’s that time of the year when I miss stuff – I miss reading posts by other bloggers because I have my head down and I am in the grind. Sometimes I have to look up and read, and comment too. I liked the post when I saw it Friday, but a post like this one deserves more. I am going to get out and walk today, but I won’t see a moose. I might see a squirrel or a rabbit and certainly some birds, but a majestic moose. WOW> It’s gonna be a great day, enjoy the week ahead. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Thanks Clay! I’m always glad when you stop by. I know you’re super busy.
It was quite a moment, two moments actually. We’re hitting the trail again today. I would love to see a bear! They are foraging all over the state, big time. There was one in Boulder last week!
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I remember seeing my first Moose a few years ago in Canada. I was so stunned by its majestic beauty I dropped my camera in the snow. Never got to take a picture! Amazing!
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Just like me in the liftline! This time I stayed calm. Luckily the bull wasn’t going anywhere. Nom, nom, nom……
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So happy you captured such beauty
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