Hiking in groups is actually encouraged… that is unless your group is mostly made up of moose. In that case, hiking on your own is the safer option. It looks like this woman in the Colorado Rockies was trying to hike by herself, but a pair of moose joined in, and then started stalking her.
Which begs the question: Hiking is great and all, but is it worth it? I’ve been on my fair share of hikes, and I’m starting to think twice about it. Don’t get me wrong, I love being in the great outdoors, getting exercise and taking in the grand views. However, I’ve never found myself in a tense situation like this where my life could be in danger.
Hiking trails and roads are commonly used by animals as well as people for no other reason than… it’s easy to move. Would a moose rather weave its way through the thick forest, or just mosey on down the trail? Animals often times opt to take the road/path, which means run-ins with people are inevitably – and dangerously – going to happen. The good news? As long as you don’t bother the wild animals, they tend to leave you alone.
That’s not exactly how it played out for Amy Hotchkiss, who was walking the Snowflake Trail in Breckenridge Colorado last week. While she was out on her hike, she spotted the pair of moose nearby, and for a moment thought it would be funny if the moose joined in with her and tackled the trail.
That wishful thinking quickly turned to fear when the pair of large animals did exactly that. At first she thought they were just checking out the trail, but then they ended up following her closely. The excitement turned to anxiety, especially when the duo of moose picked up their speed and brought it up to a trot.
Though you aren’t supposed to turn your back to an animal, nor are you supposed to run from one (it can trigger their chase instinct), Hotchkiss didn’t know what else to do. She also started running, and decided the smartest thing for her to do would be to get off of the trail.
Fortunately for her, the impromptu plan worked out. The hiker got off the trail, and the moose stayed on it, and eventually moved on past her. Hotchkiss told Storyful that she went through a wide range of emotions in a short amount of time, and was incredibly relieved once she saw the moose were no longer on her trail:
“I was excited and thought it was so cool at first… until the moose started moving in. Then I felt fear, and then excitement again after I realized they had turned off the trail.”
That’s a terrifying video right there, and things could have ended up a whole lot worse for Hotchkiss. She’s lucky the moose all of the sudden became disinterested.
Those that came across the video on social media has some mixed reactions. Most agreed that they’d be terrified if they were in Hotchkiss’ shoes, while others suggested that she didn’t handle the situation all that well:
“I certainly wouldn’t be smiling.”
“So lucky she wasn’t trampled! Hide behind a tree.”
“I would’ve been terrified.”
“They’re stalking her to make sure she gets the hell out of their turf.”
“This is so magical! I would be sh*tting bricks.”
Yeah, that last comment is a good way of putting it.
