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- Apr 20, 2013
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- 1,421
Just another Wednesday!
Another midweek adventure beckoned. Again the skies were gray, but a lot fresh spring snow had fallen the day before and the hope was to get snowshoes on in a moderate hike.
Rewarded.
The way up the trail is very moderate, deceptive, but still I broke a sweat.
The mental soundtrack was Cherry by the Chromatics, but I tried to push that out with the folky western of The Wild Feathers. When your footsteps are loud and rhythmic on crunchy ice, mental music is a relief.
Our first encounter of note on a sloppy spring trail was a young cow moose and her calf. Right off the trail. Mom didn’t get too agitated, but also didn't pose very well thru the trees... and soon we were on our way.
The second encounter was the only bipedal one on the trail. Nice.
Soon we had the shoes on. The snow was wet, but mostly firm. When you got it to move as we did later on the steep stuff it was like a thick milkshake.
A bobcat had clearly wandered about the trees, searching for bunnies and water to drink.
After the split to Dog Lake, we went right, and up a little calf burner.
We exited the trees on a massive, beautiful flat of virgin snow.
So much beauty! Sometimes the light even cooperated.
We cut straight across the meadow. The only tracks were the same crisscrossed bobcat tracks we had seen earlier. An occasional bird sang from the golden aspens and snow gilt pines whose snow had been protected by shade.
Alpine early spring or late winter, your pick.
Long rolling shadows.
We climbed again, heading back toward the trail. The worst calf burner of the trip as we headed about straight up the ridge.
Time was short. The sunset was not going to break into any color. So this was our stop.
We plopped down to a break with a view.
Then came the steep slide back down to the meadow. Mostly a wet butt kind of deal with tiny slides and snowballs flying by at twice our speed as we slid down the milkshake on top of a really wet, slick layer of older snow.
Back in the meadow we continued to cruise, cutting down a ravine here, back up onto the trail there.
After a little hairpin turn we came back to where the moose had been earlier and sure enough a hundred yards farther we became close friends again.
They were hungry and did not really pay us much mind, but they were both only a few feet off the trail, and we couldn't easily bypass. So... We talked with her, coaxed her for several minutes, and the calf took our drift and climbed the hill.
Still She stayed. Stubborn.
Finally, as we advanced a little toward her for the third time, mom went down trail and finally up the hill to her calf, begrudgingly. Calling softly with short low grunts.
We thanked her for moving and made short work of the last slippery trail and back to the trailhead.
Another fantastic hike on a trail that during the summer is too crowded, but for us the only traffic jam was the moose variety.
The night finished with a Reuben and fries. Tasting so good, even with soaked feet causing shivers...
![IMG_3129[1251].jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/63/63837-896f2ee6d93926fe25ab37c92b63adbb.jpg "IMG_3129[1251].jpg")
Another midweek adventure beckoned. Again the skies were gray, but a lot fresh spring snow had fallen the day before and the hope was to get snowshoes on in a moderate hike.
Rewarded.
The way up the trail is very moderate, deceptive, but still I broke a sweat.
The mental soundtrack was Cherry by the Chromatics, but I tried to push that out with the folky western of The Wild Feathers. When your footsteps are loud and rhythmic on crunchy ice, mental music is a relief.
Our first encounter of note on a sloppy spring trail was a young cow moose and her calf. Right off the trail. Mom didn’t get too agitated, but also didn't pose very well thru the trees... and soon we were on our way.
The second encounter was the only bipedal one on the trail. Nice.
Soon we had the shoes on. The snow was wet, but mostly firm. When you got it to move as we did later on the steep stuff it was like a thick milkshake.
A bobcat had clearly wandered about the trees, searching for bunnies and water to drink.
After the split to Dog Lake, we went right, and up a little calf burner.
We exited the trees on a massive, beautiful flat of virgin snow.
So much beauty! Sometimes the light even cooperated.
We cut straight across the meadow. The only tracks were the same crisscrossed bobcat tracks we had seen earlier. An occasional bird sang from the golden aspens and snow gilt pines whose snow had been protected by shade.
Alpine early spring or late winter, your pick.
Long rolling shadows.
We climbed again, heading back toward the trail. The worst calf burner of the trip as we headed about straight up the ridge.
Time was short. The sunset was not going to break into any color. So this was our stop.
We plopped down to a break with a view.
Then came the steep slide back down to the meadow. Mostly a wet butt kind of deal with tiny slides and snowballs flying by at twice our speed as we slid down the milkshake on top of a really wet, slick layer of older snow.
Back in the meadow we continued to cruise, cutting down a ravine here, back up onto the trail there.
After a little hairpin turn we came back to where the moose had been earlier and sure enough a hundred yards farther we became close friends again.
They were hungry and did not really pay us much mind, but they were both only a few feet off the trail, and we couldn't easily bypass. So... We talked with her, coaxed her for several minutes, and the calf took our drift and climbed the hill.
Still She stayed. Stubborn.
Finally, as we advanced a little toward her for the third time, mom went down trail and finally up the hill to her calf, begrudgingly. Calling softly with short low grunts.
We thanked her for moving and made short work of the last slippery trail and back to the trailhead.
Another fantastic hike on a trail that during the summer is too crowded, but for us the only traffic jam was the moose variety.
The night finished with a Reuben and fries. Tasting so good, even with soaked feet causing shivers...
