Brainard Lake, June 2022: Moose

One of my favorite things about visiting Colorado in the summer is getting to take pictures of wildlife that I don't see in Texas.  Most years that means driving up Mount Evans to spend time with the mountain goats.  My experience doing that last summer was transcendent; I couldn't see how I could top it.  And it had been a while since I'd seen moose or done one of my favorite Colorado hikes -- Lake Isabelle.  So it was that I found myself on the road to Brainard Lake at 3:45 in the morning with high hopes!

Those hopes were quickly realized when I came upon five moose grazing in the willows by the lake just after sunrise.  There was virtually no wind and perfect golden hour light.

One young bull didn't stick around long, soon moving on to the north side of the lake.  The one cow I saw barely stuck around at all, but did keep me with my head on a swivel until I was certain she had no calves.

One magnificent bull seemed to be the boss, with the others giving him safe distance.

Sometimes, you just gotta stop and smell the willows.  I love those lashes, too.

I was able to move at the same leisurely pace as these great beasts, always moving away if they headed towards me to ensure my presence didn't alarm them.  By their continued contented munching, I think I was successful in that endeavor.

The big boy was the shyest of the bunch, but even he kept offering me good looks.

Animals with their tongues out are never not funny.  By this point I'd spent more than an hour watching the beautiful animals, and it was time to start my hike.

A funny thing happened after my four-hour hike.  The three biggest bulls had all stuck around and kept eating!  The midday light wasn't as kind, but it did lend a certain menace to the look here.

The starker contrast was a fun challenge to work with.  Fortunately, this fellow was giving me lots of opportunities.

He kept slowly moving closer and closer until I wasn't using the zoom at all and he still filled the frame.

Using the zoom did, however, reveal interesting details.  Even in the shadows.

I even got to catch him having a little scratch.  But the one time he actually lifted his head up fully and looked almost directly at me, I had turned my head at the sound of the dog that had gotten my subject's attention.  With that the bull sauntered off, and I decided I had all the shots I needed.

It was a tough decision not to visit the mountain goats this year, but I believe it turned out to be the right one!

Related Links:

• Brainard Lake, July 2015
• Brainard Lake, July 2014: Part I
• Brainard Lake, July 2014: Part II