Its -14 degrees tonight at only 7 pm. Today it was a clear beautiful day and the mercury never got above -1 degrees F. I got bundled up and went out for a ski, but my new skis have a big problem with their bindings. I tried for 20 minutes and never got my shoes to hook in, but I got pretty cold in the process. So I abandoned that idea, threw on my snow shoes, and headed out on the trail by the creek.
An enormous sun-dog, or halo, circled the sun. The sky was clear blue and the air was so cold you could literally see ice crystals flying by.
Over the bridge there were some old coyote tracks. This coyote was using a rotary lope. He switches from one side to the next as you can see from the photo. Maybe he picks up the pace over the bridge because he’s so exposed with out cover on either side. I’m working hard on studying gait so I was thrilled to see and recognize this one.
Coyote lopes across the bridge. Notice change from one side to the next
Usually this walk has lots of wolf tracks but none today. A moose has been walking around the willows
Moose droppings and tracks
. I find an area near tree cover where several moose lay down. At first I thought these might be a group of elk, but only moose scat was around and the bed measured 60″–too big for an elk. Laying in that deep snow, a moose or an elk creates a deep depression with their weight and body heat. The lay becomes a natural snow cave, insulating them and keeping them warm.
I watched a dipper feeding and bathing. Wow they are stout little things. It was so cold my hat was icing up and this bird was hanging in the stream. Ice flowed by him.
Dipper
On the way out, the elk were spending their resting time mid-day in the upper meadows. They were there yesterday too when it was just as cold but cloudy. Usually they hide mid-day in the trees. I wondered why they were hanging on the hillsides, exposed, during these bitter cold days. On the way home, around 3:00, they were already out and grazing. Usually when the deer and elk feed early, that’s a sign of a storm coming. Maybe they know something I don’t.
Why are the elk resting in the meadow mid-day?
On the way up to my cabin, I see a young cow moose running bye. I suppose its a very cold and moosey day.
Moose by my house
Filed under: Coyotes, Moose, Tracking | Tagged: American dipper, Coyotes, Elk, Moose, Sun dogs, Tracking | Leave a comment »
Leslie Patten Books: Wild Places, Sacred Spaces 