Walking with Moose

I finally got my no-food-self-control heinie out for a walk this evening and was rewarded with a mama and baby moose grazing in the bushes in the center of the ski trail loop I was walking on. What a bonus!

My dog and I did two laps while observing them. But on the third lap they had moved much closer to the trail, so we turned around and went a lap back the other way. By then, they were very close to the trail so I leashed up the dog and took a few pics with my phone. Then I tried to slowly pass by on the far side of the trail. The usual thing is to be concerned about mama protecting her baby, but mama was cool as a cucumber: lifted her head to check us out and went right back to eating. As we got close, however, baby decided to check us out -- walked toward us sniffing and sniffing. She got right up on the trail walking toward us. I wasn't too worried about baby, but I WAS worried that mama would decide we were too close and freak out, so I backed up. But baby kept on coming. I looked on the outside of the loop for a tree I could get behind if worse came to worse. (There's a new motivation to lose weight!) I finally backed away fast enough that she gave up and went back to the bushes to eat. I tried again to edge past, but baby came back out on the trail walking toward us, sniffer going like crazy. I finally had to to back way down the trail and circle around them to get back to my car.

A great evening! (I will attempt to upload a photo of baby backing us down the trail.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16317369@N06/