May 17 - Willow Lake Trail

 Mostly cloudy day with highs in the low 50s (brr).

Wanted to hike to Willow Lake yesterday but when I got there, it was too crowded. So, today I'm hiking to Willow Lake.

Leave my house just before 7am hoping to beat the crowds and increase my chances of seeing moose.

The drive up BCC is so much calmer than yesterday; no runner/bikers and traffic is minimal. In fact, I drive up to Willow Lake TH with no one in front me. :)

I do see two deer (together) on the drive up. I had to slow down them just in case they got jumpy.

I get to the TH and there are 2 cars there. From where the cars are parked, I'm thinking, campers. The temps are in the low 30s.

I start up the trail and I'm seeing Bluebells, OregonGrape, Larkspur, Balsamroot and lots of green. The aspens are still in the leaf-out process. It's quiet; love it!

It's a lollipop trail and I complete the 1st section of the "stick" and the trail veers left and I come to a dead stop because there's a cow moose right in front me in the woods; too near the trail to safely walk by. I stop and watch hoping she will move off. 

While waiting, I notice a 2nd cow behind her; perhaps a mother/daughter pair. But patience pays off and the cow starts moving to the left away from the trail. Soon I'm able to walk past the two. Yea!

I continue up past same blooming flowers and some lovely views of the Solitude Resort. (Still strange to think this is only mid-May.)

Soon I'm at the Meadow. The sun is rise peeking over the mountain tops and there is still frost on a few of the plants.

I pass the Spring pond and am shocked by its smallness. No frogs sounds - too earlier/too cold. I don't eve see any Ground Squirrels yet.

I head back into the woods and pop out at Willow Lake. Happy to a good amount of water!

I make my over to the opposite side, greet 4 male Mallards (no females - hmmm) and make my way down the side of the lake. I'm seeing Ground Squirrels now.

As one point a large bird on the ground catches my eye. Is it a Grouse? 

It's actually walking on the ground and as I get closer, it heads into the brush. I can't image what it is so I approach the brush. It flies! Holy cow! It's a Goshawk!!! It perches nearby and starts preening itself. I wonder if it had just eaten a Ground Squirrel and was resting letting it digest. I've seen the Bald Eagles at Antelope Island sit there after a duck. Soon it flies off and into a Pine tree. Pretty awesome stuff!!

I head around the lake experiencing a short patch of snow on the opposite side before popping out back in the meadow. (Woodpecker somewhere in the woods. I hear him pecking but never find him.)

Time to head down to complete the loop.

The birds are singing more now and I see a Flicker!

I reach what I believe is the final curve to complete the loop and I startle a Bull moose grazing right off the corner of the trail. (Startled myself too!) 

He doesn't look too happy and I'm not going past. So I back-off a little and watch; hoping he moves off like the cow did earlier. But nope, he continues to feed as I watch. Kinda fun to watch.

But I don't think he's moving so I need to climb back up the mountain (more exercise than I expected today). Slow and steady I finally reach the meadow again and cut across it to the trail leading downhill. 

When I'm close to completing the loop, I meet a couple who asked if I had see a moose which I reply yes and described my bull moose encountered. They indicated they too have seen. I assume it was the Bull but after we parted ways, I meet the cow moose again at the bridge. Seems the two have moved down the trail a bit.

Awesome day! (And I added 3 more deer on the way down the mountain.)