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 Mountains 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 didn't hear her footsteps through the forest at all, only the distant crunching of leaves. 

Jean-Pierre pointed out a flattened  grassy area as a moose bed.It didn't look big enough for a moose but maybe they curl up their hulking bodies for a sound nights sleep.

Jean-Pierre brimmed with hiking expertise and Quebecois spirit, as you can grasp from the photo.I had a quintessential Canadian experience that will always stand out in my memory. Have you had any travel experiences that fully represented the destination?