I decided to run up the mountain (Mt. Baldy) we’re staying on to get to the trailhead and check out the views yesterday.

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Oh my gosh, the incline. I was happy there were lots of reasons to stop and take photos so I could catch my breath!

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I was telling myself the whole time “I am not doing THIS again,” ha! But the views going up and when I got up there were really cool.

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When I got to the trailhead the pitch of the incline decreased and I could breathe again! Yay!

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Almost immediately, I saw someone on a horse on the trail ahead.

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Wait a minute. That’s not a horse! My brain just told me it was because that’s what I’m used to seeing in Illinois. It was a moose!

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He was trying to go the opposite direction down the trail from me so I backed in the brush to give him some space. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do around a moose (just bears, ha!) other than give him space, so that is what I did.

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Unfortunately, I still freaked him out, so he ran up the direction he came from, and went up a hill. Then I continued on up the trail, but only for a bit – I figured the fact that I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do around a moose meant I shouldn’t be out there much longer on my own!

When I came back down, the moose was making his second attempt to exit the trail. A slow second attempt. Ha. I waited for him to exit. I was actually kind of scared to get too close to him!

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Then he left the trail, made a left turn, and immediately went up the steeper trail option.

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Bye, moose!

I was super jacked up after seeing him. I was really hoping I’d encounter some wildlife in the wild! Yay!

The run down the hill was a lot of fun – and a bit scary! My uphill miles were 12:43 and 11:51, then 10:08 and 7:08 on the way down! I think I should have someone drive me to the top of the mountain so I can run down really fast. Then obviously, pick me up at the bottom and drive me back up.