It’s a beautiful day in Aspen, Colorado, you and your buddies decide to hit up the Maroon Bowl for some snowboarding...Then you get caught in an avalanche… Then you have to fend off a moose attack.
This is what happened to three snowboarders (unnamed) in Aspen on Feb. 13. What started out as a nice day of snowboarding turned into a day of bombardment from all angles. On top of digging yourself out of an avalanche, you have to fend off a moose attack.
According to the Aspen Times, as the boarders were caught in the avalanche, one of the borders suffered a broken rib after getting pinned against a tree. The three self-saved themselves by slipping and sliding their way down the mountain. Once they reached a road, one of them left to get some help. As the one left, the two other boarders were left to deal with another rushing force… A moose attack. While the injured man and his buddy were waiting for help, a “concerned” mountain native came to check things out. That’s when things started going even further downhill. The boarders were attacked not once, but three times by the beast. Whether the moose lost interest, or the boarders were successful in combating the creature, they are luckily all alive and doing okay. Moose are powerful and protective creatures. We all know to keep a safe distance from them and other wildlife. Or at least we should. According to a Glacier National Park employee, Perry Rosenbloom, during their training they were told by park rangers that wild moose are more dangerous than grizzly bears.
Moose typically attack when they feel threatened, and are trying to make sure that you (or in this case the boarders) are not dangerous. Keep in mind, moose weigh anywhere near 1,500 pounds, so having one rush you can be like being hit by a car.
It’s unclear exactly why this moose was so upset with the injured boarder and his friend. It wasn’t mating season and a calf wasn’t reported nearby. Regardless, the moose made it’s presence known and found it necessary to make sure the snowboarders weren’t a threat three times. Luckily, all three snowboarders are doing alright, but I'm sure they'll be flinching at any moose sighting from now on.
