A moose on the loose....

    I heard a frightening story a few days ago about a local woman hiking in the mountains with her dogs. They rounded a corner and surprised a moose with two calves. The moose charged, head-butted the hiker, knocked her to the ground and stomped her. Yikes! The woman is okay and the dogs are fine. There's no further update of the moose, but I'm sure she's forgotten all about it by now.

    Two years ago my husband and I tried to hike that exact same trail. It was early in the season, and the place was abandoned. My husband was excited because there wasn't another soul in sight. I was nervous for the exact same reason. There might not be any other people in the area, but I couldn't say the same about the wildlife. Especially the bears.

    I allowed my husband to talk me into a short hike. My unease escalated as we made our toward the trail head. I wondered out loud about bears wandering around with their cubs. The silence in the wilderness was deafening. Soon we came across a large sign at the base of the trail educating hikers about the slim possibility of coming across a bear, and what to do if that happened.

    Somewhat reassured, we continued toward the trail when we heard a loud crash. I froze like a deer in the headlights. My husband looked over my head toward the sound and whispered, "Holy (expletive)! It's a moose!" In all our years of hiking the Rocky Mountains, we have never seen a moose. Awestruck, we watched the huge animal as he ate a tree.

    It was one of those moments where you are completely one with nature. You feel honored, humbled and overwhelmed to be in the presence of such a creature. He was only about 25 feet away from us and my husband whispered again, "He doesn't even see us!" We stood in quiet reverence as the moose continued to eat, effortlessly snapping branches that were as large as a man's arm.

    Finally, he turned his head and looked at us. Excited, my husband whispered, "He sees us! He's checking us out now!" Uneasily, I asked, "Mike? Do moose charge?" Dead silence. Finally, he answered very slowly, "I....don't....know." That was good enough for me. We slowly stared walking backwards. Then we turned and ran like hell back to the car, realizing the folly of trying to out run a moose. I kept waiting to hear the pounding of hooves behind us, but apparently the tree was more interesting than two bumbling hikers on a trail. And to think I was afraid of bears.

    There are a few life's lessons in these two stories. First of all, life is full of surprises. It's also full of adventures. You never know who or what you're going to come across when you venture out into unknown territory. Sometimes you get knocked down and trampled on, but it's important to get back up again. Sometimes you need to go out on a limb, as long as no one is eating it and you can keep yourself safe. Also, what you are most afraid of might not be the actual threat. But, you'll never know unless you step out of your comfort zone.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Does a bear sit in the woods?

    While my husband and I were packing up our SUV to return home from Thanksgiving in the mountains, we were greeted with quite a surprise. Our vehicle was covered with dirt and dust, but there appeared to be a pattern or some sort of order to the dirty smudges. We looked closer and noted that the smudges were actually paw prints. Fairly large paw prints. Incredulous, we looked at  each other....BEAR!

    We walked around the SUV and saw how carefully the little guy had gone around the vehicle and looked in the windows. There were prints on the back bumper where he must have raised himself up to look in the back window. There was another print on the passenger side window where he supported himself to look inside. There were even nose prints on the window where he must have pressed in even closer to get a better look.

    At first I felt a little creeped out that this guy was all over our car as we slept in the cabin just a few feet away. And then I was filled with wonder that this beautiful animal had been so close to us, and I wished I could have seen him. I asked my husband not to wash the car so I could admire the prints for a while. The bear was so careful and meticulous in his exploration, he never left even a small scratch with his claws on the paint.

    It's funny, just the previous evening we watched a documentary about black bears in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was surprised to learn that the adult females were only 150 pounds, and the males were about 250. The documentary also described their habits, their patterns, their behaviour, and most importantly, what to do if you happen to come across a bear in the woods. I think that bears get a bad rap for being vicious, blood thirsty aggressive creatures.

    I used to be afraid of bears and the possibility that I might come across one while hiking. Now that I understand them a little better, I'm no longer afraid. Instead, I have come to appreciate them, and if I came across one in the woods, I think I would be overwhelmed with the honor of such a rare opportunity and privilege. And then I might wet my pants, but I suppose that's another fear I have to conquer!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Hurry up and relax....

    I live vicariously through other people's vacations. I hear them make their plans, see their photos on Facebook, and listen to how much fun they had and how relaxed they are when they come home. I listen wistfully....I want some of that. Vacations are a distant memory; I haven't had one in over 5 years. I would love to sit on a beach, or at least go somewhere for a change of scenery.

    My husband travels a lot. My schedule is unpredictable. We have to plan ahead just to go out to dinner. Then a miracle happened. I looked at our calendar and realized we had about 36 hours of free time over the weekend. An idea began to form in my brain. If we planned carefully, and if we timed everything perfectly, we could head up to our favorite mountain town at the foot of Rocky Mountain National Park for a 36 hour vacation.

    I had to teach a class on Saturday morning. We could drive up on Saturday afternoon and come home early Monday morning. I planned to get up early, pack my bag, teach my class, and be ready to leave as soon as class was over. My husband was going to get up early, take the dogs to Little Doggy Paradise, pack his bag, take my class, and be ready to go as soon as class was over. Our strategy was carefully planned.

    I overslept that morning. Frantic, I realized I wasn't adequately prepared for class. As I gulped coffee, I reviewed my notes at record speed while I multi tasked. I studied, cleaned the kitchen, packed my bag and started some laundry. It appears I had forgotten about that as well. My husband tried to help, but he had slept in, too. So much for our well laid plans.

    Several chaotic hours later, we were finally in the car and on our way. As soon as we arrived and unloaded the car, I sat in the sun in front of the cabin. I kicked off my shoes, leaned back in my chair and soaked in the feel of the sun, the smell of the trees, and the sound of the birds and the river. I could feel myself relaxing already!

    Suddenly I heard a dreadful noise coming from the window behind me. My husband had turned on the TV, cranked up the volume, and opened the window. I was dumbfounded. I yelled over the sound of the TV,  "What are you doing?" He answered, "It's college football. I thought you would like to hear the game." I was speechless. Once I found my voice, I answered, "Mike, in all the years you've known me, when have I ever wanted to hear college football?" Well, you can't blame a guy for trying.

    He turned off the TV and joined me on the patio. For the next 36 hours, we had a great time. We went into town, did some window shopping, grilled outside, and even watched a little football. We went hiking, relaxed and just plain enjoyed the mountain air. We even found a sandy little beach next to the river high in the mountains.

    When we drove home Monday morning, we both marveled at how relaxing and restorative 36 hours could be. We recounted all of the activities we did, including the fact that I managed to sit on a beach without leaving the state. And I didn't even have to put on a bathing suit! We had such a good time, I wondered if we could do it again. Hmmm, I'm looking at the calendar and I notice we have a weekend coming up with 28 hours of free time available. Maybe, if we plan carefully.....well, you know how that goes!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

The kindness of strangers.

    I spent a lot of time back East last fall. I love autumn. And I love the outdoors, as long as I don't have to get too dirty. There is a beautiful park not far from my parents' house that had some nice hiking trails. I spent a lot of time in that park and on those trails.

    One late afternoon I went to the park for some serious exercise. I climbed the familiar trails and started to feel adventurous. So, I wandered off the trail and went exploring. It was exhilarating! The weather had started to turn cooler and I could feel the dampness and the chill in the air even though the sun was shining through huge white clouds. I loved the fall colors and the smell of the woods. Fall has always been my favorite season, and I was having a great time. Eventually it was time to head home.

    I turned around, reversing my tracks toward the trail, the parking lot and my car. Along the way, in a spirit of playfulness, I began playing ninja games in the woods. I turned  my wilderness expedition into a little martial arts training. I was happily balancing over a log that had fallen across a small creek when I realized something wasn't quite right. What was I doing standing over a creek? I didn't remember any creek. I shook off a sense of unease. I began reversing my path once again, certain I could find my way back to the trail.

    I wandered about for another half hour before I came to the obvious conclusion. I was lost. In the woods. By myself. With no cell phone. I tried to orient myself to my surroundings, figure out which direction would take me back to the trail, and tried again. Nothing looked familiar. I started to get worried. I wasn't even sure if I had told anyone at my Mom and Dad's house where I was going. I finally came to a steep incline. At the top I could see the reassuring sight of a neat little neighborhood. Surely somebody would be home even though it was the middle of the day and the middle of the week. They could point me in the right direction back to the park.

    Relieved, I walked up the hill onto some one's back yard. I heard snarling. I looked up and found myself face to face with a snarling, drooling German Shepard that must have outweighed me by about 20 pounds . Uh-oh. I lowered my eyes and began talking softly to her, hoping she would calm down. I was hoping I would stay calm. What I was really hoping was that her owners were home and would keep this bad day from getting worse. The front door of the house opened and her owners came out.
 
    I explained where I had been, and said that I had wandered off of the trail. Would they please point me back in the right direction to the park? They exchanged a funny look. "Where did you say you were?" the young man asked. "Well, I was hiking in Hopewell Park. I just need you to tell me how to get back to the trail." There was that funny look again. The young man said, "I'll take you there." "Oh, no, I don't want to inconvenience you," I protested. "Ma'am," he replied, "you are a good long way from Hopewell Park."

    By this time the German Shepard was wagging her tail and licking my hand. We got in the young man's truck and he drove me back to the park. It took over twenty minutes to get there. "Wow, I guess I did wander pretty far off of the trail," I said, rather sheepishly. My kind escort dropped me off at my rental car with a gentle admonition about staying on the trails next time. I assured him I would. But at that point I was pretty sure I was done hiking that park for good.

    The truth is, there are times in life when get lost, either literally or figuratively. Perhaps we get carried away with our own enthusiasm or sense of adventure and wander too far off of our chosen path. We can become so disoriented that we start going around in circles, expending a lot of energy but going nowhere. Maybe we are simply not paying attention. Maybe we have wandered so far off track that there is no way of getting back without help, or in my case, the kindness of strangers.

    On the other hand,  veering off track helps expand our horizons. Stepping a little way off of the path can lead us to new and uncharted territory. It can open us up to new ideas and new possibilities. It can help take us out of our habits and patterns that may be holding us back from achieving our full potential, or getting more satisfaction and joy out of life.

    And sometimes the teeth of a German Shepard is actually a smile disguised as a snarl, but I wouldn't count on that one. Here is hoping you have many safe adventures, and may you never lose your way.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

The buck stopped (us) here. A lesson in boundaries.

    We went hiking in  Rocky Mountain National Park last week. We were happy to be in the mountains and see the beautiful fall colors. We chose a trailhead that was at the base of a picnic area where dozens of people were making all sorts of loud and delightful noises. I figured that meant the trail would be busy with other hikers. That ruined our chances to see any wildlife. Oh, well.

    We hiked about 300 yards up the trail. The trail was deserted. I heard a noise in the woods to my left. I grabbed my husband's arm and whispered, "Mike....look!" We saw two female elk with a young calf, less than 30 feet from us! Never before have we come this close to a small herd of elk. My husband immediately pulled out the camera. He whispered back, "Oh, wow! The calf is nursing!" He was so focused on taking pictures that he didn't see what I saw next.... a huge bull elk had quietly appeared out of nowhere and was staring us down. Uh-oh.

    "Ummm, Mike," I whispered, "There's the bull!" No response. Trying to stay calm, I said again, "Mike! There's the bull!" I tried to smile at the enormous beast (the bull, not my husband) and assure him that we meant no harm to him and his family. My husband finally turned to look at him. After he regained his composure, he started walking toward the huge buck to take his picture. The elk responded by running and turning in place, letting us know he was ready to charge to protect his territory and his family if necessary. He walked across the trail and stood there, blocked our path and stared us down once again. He lifted his huge head and began swaying it slightly to show his rack, another form of aggression. His message was loud and clear. We were in his territory. We weren't welcome. We were crossing the line in the sand and overstepping our boundaries. We weren't respecting his personal space. That bull was prepared to defend his home, himself and especially his family.

    We slowly and quietly started to tiptoe backwards down the path (no easy feat in hiking boots). We didn't turn around until the bull turned away from us to check on his herd. Once we were off of the trail, we couldn't even speak to each other. We were overwhelmed by the experience of what we saw, as well as relieved that the bull had the grace to stand his ground without charging at us, and gave us the opportunity to leave in peace with our dignity intact.  

   
    There is a lesson in boundaries from this experience. It is important to set boundaries for yourself. It's important to respect the boundaries set by others. It's important to respect someone else's property. It is especially important to be respectful of someone else's family. It's okay to come in to some one's territory when you are invited, but understand what the limits are, and don't push them. You never know where the bull is, quietly watching and ready to charge. Just in case the need arises.    

The female elk grazing in the woods.

The young calf getting some nourishment.

Need I say it?


Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP