Here Moosey, Moosey

We've been in Idaho most of the summer now. One thing I really wanted to see while we were here was some wildlife. You know, the kind that grows in the northwest. Elk, moose, caribou, mountain goats, that kind of thing. We've hiked Elk Mountain, around Elk Loop, through Elk Meadow, we ate lunch on Elk Bridge dangling our feet over Elk Creek, and driven through Elk City and Elk River. Have we seen any elk? Not one. Moose? Caribou? Mountain Goats? Nope. We did see three Mountain Sheep just north of Salmon, so that was pretty exciting. But what I really, really wanted to see was a moose.




Now look closely at the photo at the top of the page again. I was trying to get a shot of Snake River as it winds its way towards Idaho Falls. See that brown blob towards the lower right? That's a moose!




There she is, a little more close-up




We had stopped to check out Falls Campground and take a picture of this...









...which was already impressive. Then I looked down and there she was, just munching away. Well, now I can leave Idaho a happy woman. I have seen a moose. And some other nice things too.




Right now we are at (what else?) Big Elk Creek Campground which is at the end of a little branch of Snake River. The Kokanee Salmon are spawning. They have turned red, grown a nasty-looking hump and a gray head, and are making their way up the Big Elk Creek to do their thing and die happy.









Not such a bad life.