I awoke at 5:30 a.m. The alarm on the phone helped, but there was already faint light backlighting the mountains around Winter Park, Colorado. Pulling on my clothes, I decided I would opt for a cup of coffee in the hotel’s lobby this morning. I made it downstairs, ran the little Keurig coffee maker and headed out to see who would be on the moose walk this morning.
Getting up early to look for a moose is part of the adventure on the Switchback Rocky Mountain Express Train Tour. The fact that there are moose in Colorado is due to the diligent work of biologists who reintroduced the species in 1978. From an original 24, there are about 3000 moose estimated to be in the state. And in Winter Park, there happens to be some prime moose habitat about a thousand yards from the hotel. The Jim Creek Outdoor Center is the national outdoor center for people with disabilities. What that means is that the trail around this park is wheelchair accessible and beautifully maintained. It also means that everyone benefits from trails that are wide and, in some parts, covered with a boardwalk. Even the wildlife enjoys these trails and use them, some of that wildlife are moose. (If one has the time, the trail leaves the Outdoor Center, and you can walk next to the creek and up into the high country.)
Our team set out to the park and once there, we got quiet. It’s hard for a dozen people to make no noise, but we did our best and walked along the boardwalk that spanned some marshy ground and the rushing Jim Creek. The trail, of which the outdoor center is part of, was named for a prospector named James Smith, who discovered gold in the area. But the real gold in the area is the nature that this trail cuts through. The creek also feeds into a vast marsh of willows, which happens to be the favorite food of moose.
Now, the idea of seeing a moose is only part of the reason for doing the walk. For a person like me, leaving behind Chicago and its ever-present cacophony of sirens, horns, construction, cars and trains to spend a little time in the woods is what makes this trip so rewarding. If our team gets to see a moose, that would be the cherry on the top. Everyone seemed to understand that and as we repeated the ritual every day we were out in Colorado, we collectively slowed down, stopped often and would watch the sunlight starting to stream into the valley.
On this particular day, we didn’t spot a moose, though part of our group saw three mule deer watching us all go by. But earlier in the week, we did spot a moose, a young bull who was blissfully nibbling away at the willows in the “salad bowl” that the creek and marshland created. Everyone had a chance to take pictures and video of that bull. The days we didn’t see a moose didn’t mean they were not there. All along the trail, moose droppings and hoof marks were present. Also, other signs of creatures that use the valley, as there was bear scat and in one area deep claw marks scored into a tree. Chipmunks, squirrels and a variety of birds were present for everyone to enjoy as well. At one break, a fat robin walked around our group, as if trying to catch our attention as if it wanted to say, “hey, I’m wildlife too!”
For their size, moose are amazingly stealthy. They blend in with the surroundings and if standing still, one could walk right past a moose without even knowing. Biologists also have noticed that moose (and other ungulates as well) are starting to adapt to human activity. It is not unusual to see a mother moose and calf in the suburbs of Denver. The main reason is that there are no predators, thus making it a fairly safe place. In fact, the day our group spotted a moose, another young bull walked down along Highway 40 and crossed into the village of Winter Park. Part of our group witnessed that and took photos of the moose on patrol. The point being is that moose like to move around and there is no given that one will see a moose.
And that was the case for our group today. We walked the trail loop in the opposite direction and ended up at a little pond, where there were two wooden benches. We all stood still and watched as the mist coiled around the surface of the water, which was still except for the occasional swirl of a small trout, looking for a meal. The sunlight had only started along the top of the mountains and the only sounds were the roar of the creek water, birds calling and a far-off train horn heading toward the Moffat Tunnel. The air was cool, and it was the perfect scene of wilderness. We lingered there for about 10 minutes, each of us taking in whatever thoughts were felt at such a scene. My thoughts were about gratitude, to be able to be present in such beauty along with some wonderful friends. If only a moose would have walked into the pond, that would've been the cherry on top.
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