Our hike up Beaver Creek mountain started as a way to kill a rainy afternoon.
The first 20 minutes were terrible, breathing hard and thighs burning, wondering why we do such things.
For the exercise, dammit!
A couple feet of powder to cover the fallen trees and stumps, and this could be epic.
Nature’s finest.
Dreams slowly faded as we passed through open clearings and new power lines being erected.
At the end of the hike, the lake didn’t disappoint.
A reflecting pond at its finest, our group sat and stared for a bit before the rains came.
Here’s where it got interesting.
The cow snorted loudly at our encroachment and we backed off quickly to the edge of the water.
Poor eyesight and a vicious protective streak, we weren’t messing around.
So we waited, and waited…and waited for the family to move along.
They were taking their time.
Fast food drive through at Burger King, this was not.
They moved, and we moved…a few steps down the road.
We followed moose tracks until dinner spot #2 meant the end of the road for us.
Our black ops mission seemed like the only logical thing to do.
The down climb over loose scree was as fun as it sounds.
Perhaps not the best course of action, but nevertheless, what we did.
The down climb was uneventful, if not beautiful, after our adventure at Beaver Lake.
Lesson learned, keep a watchful eye on your surroundings in the summer and the winter.
Read up on local wildlife and have at least some idea what to do during an encounter.
Gotta get in shape some how.
