Moose Tracking in the Chic Choc Mountains
Besides maple syrup,moose are probably the most common symbol of Canada's expansive natural beauty. I've tasted lots of maple syrup but I've never seen a moose up close so I was excited to hike through the Gaspe Peninsula's Chic Choc Mountain s and track moose. Chic Choc ( pronounced shick-shock) means impenetrable in the First nation Mic-Mac language and the mountains did indeed present an endless maze of jaw-dropping vistas that I certainly wouldn't have navigated without our sure-footed guide, Jean Pierre. We spotted a female moose (no antlers) early in our trek and I couldn't believe our luck. I was close enough to watch her delicately select leaves to munch but she didn't seem to be fazed by the presence of five gawking humans. Staring directly at us, she calmly marched away, convinced that there was nothing we could do to all 600 pounds of her. She personified the phrase, "large and in charge." The moose was huge but we ...