MOOSE SAFARI! Scott Bog and East Inlet
We go on moose safaris both at night and before the sun rises. We often head in the direction of Scott Bog and East Inlet (directions below), where the sun- and moon-rises are exquisite. Both Scott Bog and East Inlet are vast, pristine bogs. People fish, canoe and kayak; moose feed on the grasses; osprey circle overhead.
We make our coffee in to-go mugs before we leave the cabin around 4 am — if we’re shooting for a sunrise — so that we can sit, walk, sip coffee, take photos and just enjoy the stunning changes to the landscape as the sun and moon rise in the great northern woods. On this trip we saw deer but no moose. Over the years we’ve seen frogs, turkeys, ruffed grouse, hummingbirds, quail, fox, ravens, osprey, moose, bear and the occasional logging truck flying down the highway. No one believes me, but I’m pretty sure I saw the tail end of a mountain lion as it leaped into the brush on the side of Route 3 when I cycled past.
Cycling on East Inlet Road to both Scott Bog and East Inlet is gorgeous, and utterly quiet and serene ... with no big hills other than the hilly Route 3, which is totally do-able with effort. The scenery is breathtaking and the smell of balsam is its own very special kind of high.
I’ve encountered moose when biking to Scott Bog and that’s when I saw just how big moose are. BIG. The moose let me cycle past without any drama whatsoever. Another time a moose approached my friend at East Inlet. He turned around just in time for a nose-to-nose meet up. Cliff stood perfectly still and so did the moose. When it got bored, the bull moose turned and walked into the woods. So much for that.
To drive to Scott Bog, take East Inlet Road. It’s just south of Deer Mountain campground. The turnoff is on the right as you head north; travel down the main logging road for a mile or so. Turn left after you cross the Connecticut River and look for a left turn after a couple of miles. Turn right to get to East Inlet, another pristine and protected bog. We’ve seen moose feasting on the grass in East Inlet and moose meandering down the road.
Sun coming up over East Inlet.