fouristhenewone
03-11-2007, 05:56 PM
The dogs and I headed up the Overlook trail in Mill Creek canyon around 12: pm today. I was moving pretty slow because I was wearing my pack with a bit of weight in it. About 1/2 mile up the trail I started noticing a lot of blood in the snow. I called the dogs back and found that Iluq had cut his paw pretty good and was bleeding more than I'm comfortable with. So, we headed back down the trail. Near the bottom I stopped Iluq and put pressure on his pad to stop the bleeding. It stopped so I thought, I'm already here...I think I'll head back up the trail.
About 3/4 of the way up there were fresh droppings on the trail. A bit further on more droppings, large/deep prints, and long dark hair. Yes, I know...fate had now suggested I turn back twice...but curiosity is a bitch. Well, low and behold I come around the corner to find my dogs circling a very large bull moose. (Bull moose weigh about 1,200 lbs for those of you who don't know.) I, wearing about 20 lbs +on my back and in knee-deep snow, took off running with a now pissed off moose close behind me...yes, he charged me. While I was running I was unbuckling my pack, arrived at a pine tree, threw my pack and climbed (like I didn't know I could). I thought I was high enough but when I found myself face to face with an angry moose, realized I was not and headed further up. To paint a picture for you small branches were breaking beneath me as I climbed and at one point I found myself hanging by my arms and climbing hand over hand.
So, the moose circled the tree for a bit until the dogs backed him off. While I was in the tree (freezing/arms shaking from fatigue and adrenaline) the dogs were circling the moose, biting its hind legs etc. It was like National Geographic, when you see wolves trying to tire an animal out before taking it down.
During this time I was trying to think of every possible way to get out of this tree and the three of us to safety. I got Nuka to come to me and managed to get his leash on him but realized if the moose charged I had just made it a lot harder for Nuka to defend himself so I let him go. I couldn
About 3/4 of the way up there were fresh droppings on the trail. A bit further on more droppings, large/deep prints, and long dark hair. Yes, I know...fate had now suggested I turn back twice...but curiosity is a bitch. Well, low and behold I come around the corner to find my dogs circling a very large bull moose. (Bull moose weigh about 1,200 lbs for those of you who don't know.) I, wearing about 20 lbs +on my back and in knee-deep snow, took off running with a now pissed off moose close behind me...yes, he charged me. While I was running I was unbuckling my pack, arrived at a pine tree, threw my pack and climbed (like I didn't know I could). I thought I was high enough but when I found myself face to face with an angry moose, realized I was not and headed further up. To paint a picture for you small branches were breaking beneath me as I climbed and at one point I found myself hanging by my arms and climbing hand over hand.
So, the moose circled the tree for a bit until the dogs backed him off. While I was in the tree (freezing/arms shaking from fatigue and adrenaline) the dogs were circling the moose, biting its hind legs etc. It was like National Geographic, when you see wolves trying to tire an animal out before taking it down.
During this time I was trying to think of every possible way to get out of this tree and the three of us to safety. I got Nuka to come to me and managed to get his leash on him but realized if the moose charged I had just made it a lot harder for Nuka to defend himself so I let him go. I couldn