Sunday, July 18, 2010

A moose on the loose

I went for a hike up to Mitchell/Blue Lake today and since I took a bazillion pictures and posted them last year I decided not to take my nice camera.  This way I could enjoy the hike without the nuisance of taking pictures.  Don't get me wrong, I like taking pictures but sometimes I'm not in the mood especially if I already have a bunch of pictures and today was one of those times.  But I decided I'd better at least take the smaller point and shoot because you know, I might see a moose or something.

Or something.  Or a moose.


Do you people know how long I've been trying to get a nice photo of a moose?  Of course the day I finally have a perfect clear shot of one I leave the nice camera and telephoto at home.  At least I had the point and shoot.  I would have said a lot of bad words if I hadn't at least had that.


Nuthin' up my sleeve


A blow up of one of the photos above

I know, they are not so very fabulous.  It kills me but oh well.  On the other hand, how cool to see such an enormous moose!  Strum's such a good boy, if he noticed it he wasn't the slightest bit bothered.  We watched him for a good while and he never appeared to notice us.  They're extremely near sighted so if you keep your distance they aren't bothered by you.  Also if one charges you you should hide behind a tree because that totally confuses them.  Not the brightest bulbs in the pack. 

An otherwise uneventful but beautiful hike.  I took some photos of Strum at Blue Lake but the camera was acting weird and I attributed it to having been dropped one too many times.  But when I got home and downloaded the photos it turns out I had a bunch of video.  The dial must have turned while the camera was getting tossed around my backpack.  It's pretty lame but it's short.  It's just like being there.


(The video above shows Blue Lake and Mt. Toll.)

Yeah, well, it's probably better than the majority of crap in the theaters right now, this being summer blockbuster season and all.

In total the hike was around 6-6 1/2 miles or so, not very long but steep and rocky and at a high elevation (starts at 10,480 ft. and ends at 11,300).  The trail is challenging and every time I opt to do this hike I forget about it until it's too late to change my mind.  But the views are worth it, you can follow the link above to the photos from last year.  Funny, we did this hike on the very same Sunday a year ago.  Am I really getting that predictable?  Getting old is a bitch.

5 comments:

  1. I loved reviewing your photos from last year. Those plus the moose and your last post's photos, I'm envious! I haven't been hiking in the rockies in...um, gosh, ok, it was 1979 I think. And (can you believe it) I took not one photo the whole trip.

    I've never seen a moose in the wild and always wanted to see one. I see some of the best stuff on trips when I don't have a camera with me. I think that nature has a camera detector and just tones everything down when you have it with you--tease you with just enough so that you'll get complacent and come back without one.

    I've scoffed at little short videos on still cameras, but those 2 snippets really added something--seeing the beautiful scenery and yet hearing the wind complemented your story well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome! I always pass moose doo on the trail but have never seen one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did you see the video KB got of a moose?

    Must be moose "season" or something. They are so neat.

    I've only seen a moose (3 actually ... a momma and 2 babies) in Yellowstone, while hiking.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lots of moose up in the Ned/Eldora/Indian Peaks area. One ran in front of me on the West Mag trails last year as it was being chased by a dog.

    I've seen moose up in Winter Park, once just off a trail there was a mom and baby. They were so close but not bothered by us. I also saw a big bull moose in a pond just off the highway into Winter Park. Of course I never had my camera.

    And yeah, always the best wildlife sightings when I don't have my camera. I think they do have some kind of detector.

    ReplyDelete