Mountain Lions in Crested Butte, CO

Every now and then we are reminded that we share the outdoors with animals, sometimes potentially dangerous ones, without knowing it. A few days ago, I was hiking on the Lower Loop and came across a severed deer leg that was still very fresh looking. I realized it was probably the result of a mountain lion kill and thought about it for the rest of the hike. I didn't feel like I was in danger, since lions typically hunt at dawn and dusk, but it was still a haunting sight. Funny enough, I had been hoping to see a moose on this hike, since a couple of them had been spotted in the same area during the past several weeks. Moose are dangerous too, but I felt like I would be at enough of a distance to feel comfortable. Alas, no moose, just the sense of my own mortality. I had seen a fluffy fox 2 days previous in the same area, but foxes and smaller critters aren't frightening. When you live and play adjacent to over a million acres of wild and protected land, it's good to know that animals like lions and moose are sharing the space and thriving. Sure beats working in the city!