A trip up any of New Hampshire’s modest 1,220m “high” peaks amounts to a hop, skip, and a jump for most visitors. For one avid hiker in the state, the figure of speech takes on the primary form of ascent.
Just ask Moose, a female mini rex rabbit who lives in New Hampshire with her human, Chelsea Eason.
Eason and Moose are hiking partners. Together, the two explore trails and hunt summits.
The 7th-smallest U.S. state, New Hampshire features 48 “Four Thousand Footers,” including the northeast region’s highest point: Mount Washington, 1,917m.
By contrast, Moose stands about 25cm tall on her hind legs. Scaled to the height of an average human (around 170cm), climbing Mount Washington would be the equivalent of a 13,000m climb for Moose.
Eason told New Hampshire Public Radio that, as you might think, hikes with Moose tend toward the slow side. However, the casual pace affords her some special benefits.
“She’ll hop around, sit and eat, and take care of herself,” Eason said. “But those are the moments when I get to sit, take a breath, and figure out what she’s looking at and what she’s enjoying.”
And Moose is far from incapable –- she keeps up on trickier trail sections, scrambling over rock slides and hopping gaps in the trail. The rabbit’s full-send attitude, Eason said, helps propel her forward.
“She’s kind of been my ride or die, my adventure partner,” said Eason. “She’s really kind of been the inspiration for me to keep going.”
At the end of the day, the rabbit looks like an ideal trail partner. She doesn’t appear to complain much, always brings a jacket, and seems to take care of her own nutritional needs. Plus, she’s sociable and popular.
Eason said, “it’s been nice” to run into other hikers, many of whom show Moose some love on the trail and on social media. The hiker bunny’s Instagram following is modest, but she’s becoming a bonafide TikTok star, approaching 1 million likes from about 31,500 followers.
@moosiegoosegallery @tessaviolet ‘s trend, but sassy hiker addition. What do you think?#yesididthat #nh48 ♬ YES MOM BY TESSA VIOLET – Tessa Violet
“TikTok was an accident,” Eason said. “I just made one or two videos, and people started really gravitating toward that.”
Moose and Eason have developed their hiking technique through three years of “patience and practice.” In September 2021, they completed the entire “Four Thousand Footer” circuit.
Neither shows any sign of losing the spring in her step.
