After Net and I returned from our Paddle-Run-Paddle adventure, we found Avian playing with her island friends at the dock.

Clearly, she hadn’t missed us.

We regrouped with my parents and decided to head out for a Mott Island Loop in search of moose.

my dad with his hiking stick

lush section

picking wild blueberries

Ave enjoying the blueberries

my mom hiking along Lake Superior

Ave and my dad

birch bark

moss

running through a smooth section

boardwalk through a marshy part

It was great fun; however, no moose. After dinner, I decided to try another loop. This time, heading out solo, I focused on treading as lightly as possible, and just listening to the sounds… Isle Royale is so peaceful and quiet, you can distinctly hear my favorite sound: the call of the loon.

About 1.5 miles into the run, I heard a soft crunching noise down a ravine – I stopped, and crept to the ledge – to my absolute delight, there was a moose, standing about 20 feet back from the water, snacking on some brush.

The trail would lead me down near the moose. I contemplated this, and decided it was still best to continue, but as I went down the steep embankment, I saw that the moose was not alone… there was another one, much smaller, but still quite huge. Lynette had told me there was a mother moose and her twins on the island… and yes, there was the other kid! I crept down the trail towards them.

The sweet little (huge) family seemed to realize I was there, and ran off through the woods.

It was then I realized that moose, despite their enormous size, can run pretty fast. I looked it up – moose can run 35 miles per hour. They can also swim 6 miles per hour for two hours at a time.

I was feeling pretty high on adrenaline-  I saw not one, but three moose!

I continued on my way and soon after came across a huge bull moose, standing right in the middle of the trail.

Whoa. Ok, so the mama and twins didn’t scare me too much, but after seeing how fast they could run, I started wondering what kind of damage this Big Guy could do. Lynette had told me moose don’t usually charge people until Sept-Oct, and she had mentioned climbing trees as a way to safety. I was surrounded by trees, but none looked very climbable.

I decided my only option was to keep going, so I talked to the moose and walked towards him, hoping he would move over. He eventually did.

The run back to Lynette’s was accompanied by a gorgeous sunset, and I couldn’t wait to tell my family what I’d just experienced.

Next up: Part 4: Isle Royale – Raspberry Island