Nearly ran a moose over with my car the other night just past the airport on route 10 heading towards 89. I thought wow, that doesn't happen every day.

Today I went for what was supposed to be an easy ride and it turned out to be a 17.5 mile adventure. Started innocently enough down the Sugar River Trail heading for Claremont when I got past Mosquito School House Rd I decided to hang a left and head towards Weeds Pit. About 2/3rds of the way up the climb to the first major intersection, there it was...

I swear it was the same moose I almost hit with the car just a few nights ago, standing across the trail about 75 yards from me minding its own business chomping on some wet leaves, I on the other hand was a bit stunned, never been that close to a moose before. I dismounted rather soon after the sighting, and was trying to decide, "do I turn around and hope it doesn't charge me or something or do I just stand here and hope it gets tired of me and saunters off," I really wanted to continue forward but the moose was an obvious obstacle of unknown intentions that I really didn't want to disturb.

Finally the moose takes notice of me and we have a staring contest for what seemed like an eternity, and it looks like its going to starting moving away now, wait, OH YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, its coming towards me, OH CR*P, now I'm stuck. It saunters slowly about 25 yards closer to me, stops we have another staring contest, and doesn't the thing walk rate up to me and stop rate next to me, butt way off to my right, head way off to my left, I could have reached out and touched the thing it was so close, the head slowly comes around and looks me rate in the eyes and I think, "If I thought I was stuck before what's this?????"

Another eternity goes by and the moose takes about 6 steps past me, stops, the head comes round to see what I'm up to, looks back the other way, pauses, comes back around, looks at me, starts to turn sideways like its coming back then walks 10-15 steps in the other direction, stops then it does turn all the way around back towards me again, and I think, "I ain't about to be mounted by no moose, I think it's time to starting moving away now...", I slowly take a couple unobtrusive steps away, and doesn't that moose's head come up and the ears go pointy, as if to say, "whatcha doing? No don't go away, I wanted to play." Yeah, I don't want none of that kind of play, after its ears folded back down again I started slowly walking away, after I get about 75 yards away doesn't the thing start walking towards me very slowly again, "well I'm on the move and I ain't about to stop now". The corner is nearing now and as soon as I get around it I'm on my bike again and I'm out of here, I know I'm hairy and all that, but that moose just isn't my type.

Up up and away to Weeds pit and home I went, thinking the whole way, I can't believe that just happened, was that cool or what, that's what mountain biking is all about.

Ryan

Now we all know why you spend so much time in the woods.

Mmmmmoose lovin' in the back woods, now you know what the old timers are talking about. 8)
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?

Didn't I see another Moose today on my side of the Pinnacle coming down Baptist Hill. I think I startled this one as it was running away from the trail and I was moving rate along on my mtb. All I got a good look at was its huge butt, but I think it was considerably bigger than the other two.

Ryan