Fun World of Commuting

[handslive]

You know you're in for an interesting ride in the morning when you get stopped on the trail by four City of Edmonton police officers and two federal Conservation officers who ask you if you've seen a moose. And then advise you to keep your eyes open because there's one in the area and it's not happy.

I didn't see a moose, but that was a very interesting way to start my morning bike commute through the ravine. (I met them at the cross-over on 76th ave, just west of 91st Street.)

Comments

[purplejavatroll.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh. And to think that we cycled back there last night in the dark! We could have had a very nasty surprise!

pjt

[puppytown.livejournal.com]

Savage moose surround you!

[puppytown.livejournal.com]

It might help to understand my comment if you know that my childhood nickname is "Moose" or "Moosemeat".

:D

[eck.livejournal.com]

(Knowing better than to ask...) Why in the world...?

[puppytown.livejournal.com]

As a wee child I loved to eat moosemeat. Mmmm, still do.

[handslive.livejournal.com]

So, you're savage then? Or you surround me? :-)

[puppytown.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! Raarrr.

[eck.livejournal.com]

Yow. At least you're accustomed to visitng places where moose are expected. Uh, I guess?

I'd have been very perturbed to learn there might have been an annoyed moose in the ravine if I were commuting downtown by bike! Yow! It makes some sense, but I had no idea such large animals wandered into the city, even through the ravines.

Yow. Sheesh.

[handslive.livejournal.com]

Since the moose can run as fast (maybe faster, depending) as I could hope to do on a bike, coming across a moose on the bike path is a bad thing. The worst thing is that the moose will likely not notice me approaching. This is a problem already encountered by cyclists and bears on park trails. And startled animals are generally no fun to be around.

I know they get wildlife in the ravine. When purplejavatroll used to deliver newspapers, we came across deer in the ravine. And there've been news stories about moose before.

I honestly don't know what I'd have done if I had come across the moose. I tried to be extra vigilant, hoping to notice the moose first and then play the situation by ear. But I think it would have been bad.