Well, they weren't lying about Grand Lake. Only a couple hours after spotting a cow moose with a calf, and then a bull moose on our drive back to camp, we found even more moose. We were driving along the county road that ran from our campground back out to 34 in order to run into town and grab some ice for the cooler. Two vehicles were pulled over on the shoulder of the road near an obvious osprey nest. I remarked that they were probably just gawking at the ospreys. The osprey chicks were visible from the road. "Or maybe they're looking at the HUGE bull moose right there," Mary exclaimed.
It would turn out to be three large bulls, less than thirty feet from the road. They were busy eating the underbrush near the edge of the lake, and didn't seem to pay any attention to the growing crowd of on-lookers. This sighting brought our total for the day to 6 moose, the most we've ever seen in a day, by far.
After another quiet night of camping at Green Ridge, we headed out for some more hiking. Our backpacking trip was now only a day away, so we figured it would be wise to avoid a challenging trail. The East Shore Trail followed the edge of Shadow Mountain Lake for several miles of easy hiking. The sun was shining brightly overhead as we set off down the trail.
The trail itself was fairly unremarkable. The path passed through a forest that had been devastated by an invasive beetle in the past five years. The hillsides were lined with fallen trees through most of our hike. The view to our left was much better, though. Shadow Mountain Lake stretched for several miles to the north, framed by the barren, rocky tops of the Never Summer Mountains.
We spotted several parties out skiing and tubing on the large lake. The scenery was great, but the busy lake made for less than serene hiking. We tried our best to enjoy the interesting blend of wildflowers growing on the lake's edge while we walked.
Just after we reached our turn-around point, the monotony of the hike was interrupted. Two cow moose were wandering through the shrubs to our right, not more than ten feet from us. This was the closest either of us had ever been to a moose. We took some photos, resisting the temptation to get closer to the moose. While they looked harmless, a sudden charge by an animal that weighed over a thousand pounds didn't appeal to me!
The rest of the hike was fairly routine. We had the excitement of our moose encounter to keep us entertained while hiking back to the trailhead. The familiar rumble of thunder reminded us that it was now the afternoon. As we approached the spillway of the Shadow Mountain Dam, we could finally see the skies to the south. Dark blue clouds, whirled into threatening-looking formations, were moving fast over the valley. Within minutes, the air was twenty degrees colder, and a howling wind was roaring.
We drove back to the campground to close up our tent for the imminent rain. While we were in camp, we watched one of our neighbor's tents go flying. A gust of wind had pulled it off its stakes. It was now blowing across the campground and towards the lake, like a tumbleweed. With the help of another camper, we managed to get ahold of it and drag it back to their campsite. We had just succeeded in staking it down when its owners drove back into their site. Needless to say, they were quite appreciative that we had been nearby!
The severe weather passed quickly, and a steady, soaking rain moved into the area. We headed for a coffee shop in Grand Lake to escape the wet weather. Hopefully, things will dry out before we start our backpacking trip tomorrow. Rain aside, any time I can see 8 moose in a 24 hour period, its a pretty fabulous day!
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