8. Telephone Standoff

Mile: 1,442

Breathing heavy, I take a draw on my camelback, one foot in front of the other. My eyes come up from the ground to meet the eyes of 1300 lb animal who is not afraid of me,

On my way through Laramie, WY I stopped at the only place that seemed to still be open at 8:50pm on a Tuesday night. A gas station / flyfishing shop. I asked the counter clerk, who seemed to be the owner, where I could go to get away from the crowds at Medicine Bow-Route National Forest. From the back of the store in a low muddled voice came the answer, “Telephone”. I turned around and I saw the back of a broad shouldered bearded man in his mid 20’s sweeping the floor. “I’m sorry what did you say?” I asked because I had heard what he said, but not sure how “Telephone” could be an answer to my question if he had even heard my question to the man behind the counter. “Telephone”, he said again without looking up. The man behind the counter clarified, “that’s Nate, he’s one of the guides around here. He say’s Telephone Lakes will get you away from people. My attention turned to Nate now knowing that he holds the keys to the door, any secretes or advice I was going to get that would help me bring in the trout tomorrow would come from this tight lipped trout guide. He ended up being more telling that I expected after I asked him a few questions about himself, “How long have you guided?” “How long have you been fly fishing Wyoming?” Yada yada yada. Basically asking him personal questions so when I hit him with, “what fly would you throw tomorrow if you were going to Telephone Lakes?”, he would be more likely to answer truthfully. Long story short, he did his job and I spent some money on flys. I’m a sucker for that sell and I know it. Matter of fact, he was probably playing me the whole time. But, we both came away with what we wanted. I got some local yocal insight and he got my money. But to be honest, everybody in that store seemed like stand up people and really friendly. I mean shoot, they had patience when my card was denied three times trying to buy my YEAR LONG fishing license (it was the best deal) and stayed open past their closing time of 9pm to help me get what I needed. 

I woke up at 6:30 and started getting ready to go. Another fly fisherman, Mike, was at his car next to me. We seemed to be like the only two awake in this over crowded camping area. We spoke about what our plans were and he gave some advice on how not to get to Telephone Lakes. He had tried the day before and ended up in a swampy mess. I thanked him and took off. No trail, just me and the evergreen thicket, bushwhacking. To be honest, it wasn’t bad. The undergrowth wasn’t thick and i had chosen a route that kept my feet dry. The trees were thick though and so picking the right path was necessary. Telephone Lakes are up above Brooklyn Lake where the camp sites were and so I soon found myself humping a pretty good sized hill. I knew I wasn’t in grizzly country but black bear, definitely. Mike had said that there were mule deer, elk, and black bear out here. I asked about moose and he seemed to think there might be but very few if so. Mike...ohh Mike. I looked up at which route through he trees I was going to take and there’s stood a mule deer buck 40 steps away through a gap in the trees. He just stood there like he was shocked to see a human off one of the marked trails. I started walking slowly towards him and was able to get under 30 yards between us and he still stood there pretending he was invisible. At my next step he turned and bounded off into the greenery and in 3 seconds we was long gone. I continued on. The hillside got a little more steep and I began feeling the higher elevation. I had noticed my bag of sealed oats I bought in Fort Collins was tight as a balloon when I moved it this morning. So it makes sense that I’m breathing like a football player coming into basketball season running drills. I continue on. 

Breathing heavy, I took a drink from my camelback, one foot in front of the other. Remembering how I came upon the mule deer so quickly I brought my eyes up to scan for a black bear and for my next directional route through he trees. My eyes came up from the ground and locked in with the eyes of 1300 lb moose straight in front of me. I stopped on a dime. All I could see was his head through the hole in the trees. At 50 yards it was still no small face. Brown and long it floated in that hole between the trees, statue like. My brain was trying to turn him into an elk thinking about what Mike had said. But no sir, Mike, ohhh Mike. Suddenly, being alone in that evergreen thicket with this 1300 lb animal who was not afraid of me was the only thought I had in my brain. He moved slowly crossways as to say, “I’m not backing down to something a seventh my size, check out how big I am.” He had a pretty big rack on him and he was showing it off. Then behind him I saw a cow moose cross the opening through the trees. I could now see the entirety of the bull moose in an opening standing less than 50 yards away now. Another bull crossed through the trees behind him. Three moose. Were there more? Being alone I decided backing up would be my best option since I had heard quite a few stories of moose charging people. Once I was 70 yards away and only seeing glimpses of them occasionally through openings I started back on the trajectory of Telephone Lakes. 

I decided it was best to give the ole, “hey bear” announcement as I walked through the woods just in case. I might see less wildlife but it’s a better chance I wouldn’t walk up on top of a moose momma or black bear and startle them. I hate doing that. It goes against every ounce of Collar in my blood to make noice while walking through the woods. But, seeing as I was alone. I figured safe and not seeing wildlife was better than FEELING wildlife. I soldered on. Coming up on the lakes gave me a huge smile. I was the only one at this beautiful mountain top lake. Wildflowers everywhere, mountains rising out of the background, evergreens lining one bank and keeping part of the lake secrete and hidden. The water as clear as tap water, I couldn’t have thought this site up. I pressed on to the waters edge. A mountain of brown stands up 25 steps away on the waters edge! And another! Thundering hooves and seeing their big brown butts tell me that my nerves can calm back down and that they were running away and not at me. Two more moose added to the days count. Mike....freaking Mike. I was now grinning even bigger than I was before. I had been within 50 yards of a mule deer buck, 3 bull moose and 2 cow moose, and now was about to rip some lips on some mountain brook trout. Having a blessed day does not accurately describe the awesomeness of the day today. But, that is exactly what happened. God, thank you for such a blessed day.