It was a day of hiking in the aspens and pines....there is something so refreshing about hiking in the snow on a sunny day. The light must be different or perhaps it is the air. Whatever it is about winter hikes, I feel more alive. The indoor life does not suit me very well and getting the chance to spend a few hours hiking with my family makes me smile even now just thinking about our time outdoors.
Although there were no other hikers on the trail this time, we knew there were other living creatures near-by. The snow recorded their activity for us. We always have a great time imagining who the tracks belong to and then discussing what they may have been doing out here in the woods.
Many times as we hike along we spread out and have some alone time. I love to walk and pay attention to the crunching of the snow under my boots. There were a few birds that showed their faces while we walked and a few that just let us know they were there by knocking on the tree or whistling a little tune.
These ducks don't seem to mind the cold, cold water.
Our Bird List for the Day:
Mallard ducks
Ravens
Steller's jays
Red-breasted nuthatches
The creek was flowing along with crystal clear water, much deeper this time of year than in the summer and fall. We observed lots of tracks on the other side of the bank....big tracks where it looks like someone came to get a drink perhaps.
I told the boys to be on the lookout for interesting tracks in the snow and if they found some to call me over. These are the "dinosaur" tracks they found....very funny.
Seriously though, this photo shows the most interesting and most abundant track we noticed through the trees. It looks like footprints with something that made a line to the side....a tail perhaps? I would love to know what made this track in the snow.
Maybe this is why I love winter hikes so much....there is an air of mystery and awe to them that I love and crave. We are looking forward to more snowy hikes in the near future.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
