Who Goosed the Moose

Our adventurous spirit was peaked with the wild mustang chase last Sunday. We followed that up with a 2:00AM visit to Stagecoach Lake Park to watch the meteor shower. Unfortunately, while very entertaining, it was a bit difficult for an amateur photographer to film; so...sorry about that.

Don't be dismayed, however. As I said, our adventurous spirit was sequentially, significantly spiked. This morning (Wednesday) we decided to go moose hunting.

 And a beautiful morning it was...

Sunrise on CR-34

From Steamboat to just a bit south of Walden we cut cross-country corners catching County Road 34. This cuts off several miles while availing us to some sensationally, scintillating scenery. It was a magical morning and the early sun danced upon the sage and other wildflowers.

 It's hard to roll out of bed at 4:00AM...but immensely worthwhile!

Our new Cherokee friend, Degotoga, greets the hillside flora.

That's right, folks, Jethro no longer leads our jaunts and journeys. While we miss him, we are comforted knowing that he found a new home almost before the dealer in Kentucky could get him on the lot. In fact, they called us the day he sold just to let us know he had a new home. Perhaps, his new family won't work him quite so hard. While we owned him only two years, we escalated his mileage close to 100K. That said, he still was worth 60% of his sticker price when he was new back in 2012.

Degotoga, Jethro's replacement, is full blood Cherokee as his name suggests. For those of you fluent in the native Cherokee tongue, DEGOTOGA means, "Standing Together." Since that's what Liz and I try to do on a daily basis, how could we pass on a Cherokee named Degotoga. He joined us in Lexington in June.

 

Our Sad Moose Tale

After arriving at the Arapaho Wildlife Refuge we discovered the Colorado Park Ranger Service has "sold out!" While I'm not a tree-hugging liberal, and while I recognize that all good things must eventually come to and end, I still find it sad that the meese of Arapaho are almost all gone and have been replaced by over 200 head of cattle. So...as you're savoring a sensuous sirloin, just be aware Marvin and Mary Moose gave up their marvelous marsh so that it could be converted to a VRBO for bovines. Seriously, it was a real bummer to stand atop Owl Ridge Road, binoculars in hand, and see cattle completely covering the entire marshy moose meadow. I guess the motto is, enjoy the good things in life before they're all gobbled up.

Miles away from the the clamoring cattle we did spot a couple of meese maidens munching.

Meet Marge and Melinda Moose

Marge has been searching for her main man Marvin ever since he was cattle-prodded from home.

A few critters remain in the refuge and seemed un-phased by the new regulations (or lack thereof).

 Gomer Gopher

 The answer to the question, "Who's the odd man out?"

Homer Hawk

After leaving the once moose rich meadows of Arapaho Wildlife (no longer) Refuge, we decide to take an ambitious short cut back to Steamboat. Here's what that looks like on a map:

Lower black line is US 40 to Hwy 14 - the traditional auto route

The red line is the off-road, shortcut over Buffalo Pass via CR-24 & CR-38

This route is not recommended if you suspect that any of your internal organs may be loose or otherwise not permanently secured. The eastern half of the journey is rather benign; the western portion is another story indeed. All that said, the trip was breathtakingly scenic.

 CR-24 - Gravel...but...smooth sailing

 View from Buffalo Pass

Looking toward Steamboat near Buffalo Pass

As we came over a rise, Lizzy squealed with delight. At first I thought she had found the long, lost bear she has been searching for since our escapades began. Moreover, she mused upon a majestic, medley of muleys (Colorado Mule Deer). It was a fitting end to a blissful day in Cool, Colorful, Colorado.

A pic worth clicking for a closer look

Stay tuned...the saga continues through October...