Jays and Moose

The next day, we went for an 11 K hike along the Mizzy Lake trail. In the parking lot to the trail, two sweating young men came out and said, "Open your hands." They put some loose nuts into our palms. They said, "You'll get to a part where you'll see some birds that look like blue jays, but they're bigger and they're grey. Some people call them grey jays. If you hold out some nuts, they'll come and eat right out of your hands." We asked them for water as well because my friend forgot hers. They showed us photographs of otters they saw. They said they power hiked and completed the walk in three hours. We said we aim to finish in four and a half, even though the brochure said six.

So we set off. It was a long, long difficult hike, with lots of rocks to climb over, tree roots to negotiate, indiscernible turns to navigate. We made it to the first post (there were 13 on the trail) and saw two women collapsed by a lake. They said they were too tired to continue. I knew how they felt. I too was tired and doubted I could finish the trail. But if we made it to post 6, then there was no sense in turning back, so we had to decide in the next three posts whether we turn back or finish the trail.

At times, we literally walked through a forest. If it weren't for blue markers on certain trees, we wouldn't have known a trail ran through the area. Other times, we were on a boardwalk that seemed to stretch endlessly. And when it ended, boy was I sorry.

Soon enough, we realized a pair of large grey birds were hovering us. We tested the nuts by putting them in our hands. Sure enough, the birds landed onto our hands, ate the nuts, and flew away. We did this several times till we ran out of nuts. When we left this part of the forest and walked along a gravel road, a pair of grey jays followed us out. So I took some bread from our lunch and offered it to them. Yup, they came and ate out of my hand.

Further into the walk, we came upon four people whispering. A loud crashing sound through the woods ensued. We turned a corner to see a cow moose standing in the water. My friend said, "There is a second moose. Look where those people are pointing their cameras." I couldn't see them; leaves were in the way. I just knew there was the pond with the moose in it between us and them.

Suddenly, a large brown moose charged out of the forest into the pond about 20 feet in front of us. My friend and I froze and gasped. When we looked at each other again, we had each put our hand to our mouth to keep from screaming. My camera, my camera, my kingdom for a camera!

We watched the moose, the moose watched us. I wondered if they would let me touch them. I didn't try. Eventually, we walked away quietly. It was a spectacular encounter.

We finished the hike in just over four and a half hours. We did real good.