Moosey-ing Around -by Lila Bartmann
My husband Lou and I hit the road back in May (with pups of course). Destination: Emmett, Idaho to check in on a family member. We elected to take a detour from the usual I-80 and I-84 route, and landed in Pinedale, WY, a fave place of ours, late in afternoon, after our 370 mile drive. We found our room at the recently renovated Gannett Peak Lodge and dropped a few things there before heading to the American Legion / Veteran's Memorial Park on Pine Creek. We always visit this park as we always have one or two fur friends with us, and it is a lovely park. We also love the tribute to the pronghorn migrations by sculptor/artist Georgia Bunn, Paths of the Pronghorn, that Pinedale installed in 2015. This afternoon, the pronghorn sculptures had company!
This friend seemed quite content and unruffled by us, at quite a distance, then by others stopping to shoot from their phones, perhaps 30 feet away!!! It is interesting to note that two Pinedale locals shared with us that unlike giraffes, young moose do not have long enough necks to reach the early tender spring grass, so it is not unusual to see them at this time of year on their knees nibbling away, or even lying down to nibble at anything within reach. When they are in water or brush, their food is typically "higher" and more accessible to them when standing. I once saw about 8 young moose on their knees doing just this at a ranch near Walden, Colorado in May as the grass was greening up. It was fun to witness this again today and to know that I wasn't hallucinating all those years ago. Ha!!!
Fort Collins native, Lila Bartmann, started volunteering in her Colorado and Idaho communities at a young age. She retired in 2019 from her 30-year career as an occupational therapist in rehabilitation and school settings. Lila enjoys playing multiple instruments, visiting numerous natural areas, birding, biking, and dancing with dogs.
