More Moose

I am astonished by the power of my blog. Not only have I been getting crazy comments about my paintings, but the moose have also responded to my emotional outcries. Not two days after seeing the mom and son combo up in the Snowy Range, I went backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park and saw a young bull moose just off the trail. I now have proof of Colorado moose as well as Wyoming ones.
The last trip of the summer was a good one. Most agreeably, I did not encounter a single person on the trail the first day (excepting my excellent hiking companion). About six miles into the wilderness, I suddenly saw four brown legs on the hillside in front of me. A few steps further revealed a moosey face--staring at me, of course. I don't think it would be easy to sneak up on many woodland creatures.
Our remote campsite perch near a picturesque lake afforded excellent views of the Rocky peaks. After setting up camp, I climbed up above the tree line and discovered a large herd of elk settling in to a sheltered valley for the night. I was too high above them to cause them any alarm.
Though the night brought some scary lightning when protected by only a thin layer of synthentic material, the moon was luminous and the breeze brought the freshest air imaginable. Okay, the ground was cold and my freeze-dried dinner left a lot to be desired, but that only made my next morning's hot chocolate that much more enjoyable. Three mule deer watched us from a meadow as we strode by on the hike out, and the afternoon rain held off until we reached the shelter of the car nine miles or so later. It was a short but lovely last hurrah in a wonderful summer of freedom.
So, as a thank you to the obliging moose, I have attached my most recent moose painting and a photo of my polite forest friend.