Trail Time – Moose and Other Encounters
This summer the moose are abundant on the Gunflint Trail. A mild winter and plenty of rain have resulted in lush habitat for our favorite ungulate. We’ve seen a lot of moose crossing the Trail, or suddenly running out of the woods or just standing in the middle of the road — and we’ve had some heart-stopping encounters where we had to brake fast to avoid hitting one. This frequently happens at dusk, and we drive slowly and watchfully especially at that time of day. It is really fun to see moose from the comfort of a car, but to my mind the very best way to see one is from a canoe.
On my very first canoe trip to the Boundary Waters and the Quetico, I sat in the bow, paddle in hand and watched in awe as a big bull moose stood in the water just in front of a beaver dam. He dipped his head then raised it with his mouth full of water plants; every time he lifted his head, it seemed like a gallon of water poured out of his huge branching antlers. He was relaxed and stood there peacefully as the canoes waited for him to move on. We didn’t hurry him. We were in no danger since we kept a respectful distance.
Early in our camping career, Lars introduced me to night paddling in the canoe. I was less thrilled with it than he, since I usually sat in the bow, with Lars safe in the stern seat. We’d leave a small lantern on at our campsite and venture out into the dark. We only did this on lakes we knew very well. Hitting a rock dead on is never a good experience, but hitting one at night is another thing altogether. Once we were paddling on Snipe Lake at night, and as we floated quietly down a narrow channel, a great commotion exploded to our right. A moose was splashing, climbing out of the water. We had surprised it and we sat there (me trembling a little) as its hooves thundered away up into the woods.
On another Boundary Waters trip, Lars and I were paddling toward a portage when we saw a moose cow and calf standing on the shore. They were so well camouflaged that we were quite close by the time we saw them. We obviously got too near because Mama moose made a grunt and took one step toward us. We got the message and started back paddling fast to make everyone feel better.
Lars and I have spent a lot of time together in a canoe. Paddling a canoe is one of the best kinds of couples therapy. One of my very favorite dates is a double solo, when we are in separate canoes and set challenges for the other, like paddle your canoe in a spin of 360 degrees. Or go close to shore and pick up a beaver stick without tipping over. Or paddle under a fallen tree and do the limbo. We’ve had a lot of fun and seen a lot of moose from a canoe.
In truth, I think the best way to see most things is from a canoe, especially if a person is filled with confusion, doubt or anxiety; or if there is any internal disquiet. The repetitive motion and constantly changing view in a canoe imparts both solace and energy to the paddler. The very nature of paddling a canoe reforms problems to their proper size, and resets the brain and heart on a more even keel.
Leave your phone on the shore. Get out on the water in a canoe. Steal away from the cares of the world and the news. Let the peace of the natural world soak in. Don’t forget to have fun. And you might even see a moose.
Happy paddling!
~ Marcia
