Let's go snowshoeing on the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge...
a fine way to spend a Saturday.
Temperature -- about 7 or 8 degrees F, wind NNW <15mph (nonexistent by ND standards)
70 people signed up for two sessions,
with beginning, intermediate and advanced trails for each group.
(Guess who started on the beginner's trail?)
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| The bindings fit over my boots! |
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| Morning group on the Boat Dock Road -- beginners looking good! |
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| Morning view looking east across the Middle Des Lacs Lake, framed so well. |
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| Young beginners try a "hill" -- some of us just concentrated on keeping our tips straight and visible. Hills were for later! |
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| Berry delights for the wildlife.... |
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| Porcupines prefer tree bark, leave a mess. (This tree will probably live, just be trimmed a bit!) |
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| Snowbirds left their nest for the winter. |
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| Intermediate group on afternoon trek at the lower end of Tasker's Coulee. |
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| Mostly beginners here, but we tried bushwhacking through the trees. |
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Nothing like the taste of winter bark.... |
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| Deer bed, freshly made the previous night. |
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| Creek bed at the lower end of the coulee. We found safe places to cross. |
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| Surprise! Open water running through the creek, delicate frost on top. |
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| Looking back at the coulee.... |
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| Let's go snowshoeing again sometime! The Des Lacs NWR hopes to host similar programs in the future. (No bones or snowshoes were harmed in the making of this blogpost, although heretofore unknown muscle groups were taxed and many cookies were consumed. |
And now, I officially love snowshoeing--add a pair to my Christmas list, Santa!! Oh my gosh, there's no better way to see the winter activity on the refuge...our morning group witnessed a standoff between several whitetails and four coyotes...three of the coyotes headed for cover, but one tried his luck against a group of three deer, only to discover he was hopelessly outnumbered!
I think my cheek muscles hurt as much from grinning all day as my thigh muscles did from trekking (and falling and getting up again...gotta watch those tips under the crusty snow layer!!).
Thanks for reading--come visit the refuge sometime!!!
(And many thanks to this lovely woman for inspiration for the snowshadow photo--I just had to try it, Ro!!)
Love your photos!
ReplyDeleteI love snowshoeing.. I am just beginning also. I just posted a story about my snowshoeing adventure on my blog..
It's really fun, although we could use a bit more snow..
I wish I would have had a group to go with, im sure that was much for fun. I am hoping to go again tomorrow sometime.
Have a nice week :)
xx Juli
Great pictures ! And, I agree - the day was fun - the refuge has it's own beauty in the winter !
ReplyDeleteJuli--bring your snowshoes and come over!!! And the photos from your adventure are SO lovely...makes me want to venture out on your trail, too.
ReplyDeleteJane--notice I did NOT include any photos from spills and tumbles--even though some of those spills and tumbles were MOST graceful....
:-)
WOW Caroline! What a wonderful trail, lakeside, stream side and sunshine!!!
ReplyDeleteSpills and tumbles sound like fun in the snow :)
What is eating the bark off the trees and do porcupines climb?
Thank you for taking us *along your trail.
xo, Ro
Porcupines DO climb--experts in that department--then survey their realm from on high.
ReplyDeleteThis time of year, both porcupines and deer will eat bark--there's a lot of beaver activity in that coulee, but those critters are hibernating right now. Rabbits are bark-browsers, too--we didn't see any rabbits that day, but they're around.
One tumble put me down on a stump (thanks to beavers)--good thing I have plenty of "padding."
:-)
I love your blog!! i knew I would! The pictures along with the writing on the snowshoeing day are fantastic! Feels like I'm right there w/ out the cold and sore muscles!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to more readings! Btw Wrinkle in Time was one of my all time favorite books along w/ the Narnia books and A Bridge to Terabithia.
Well I learned something new and really quite astonishing to me. I never knew porcupines were climbers, they look like ground huggers. We obviously don't have any "hanging around" :)
ReplyDelete*couldn't help that one..
Hi, Jayne--thanks for coming over to the prairie from the coast! Those are more of my favorite books, too...reasons why I write now.
ReplyDeleteVery funny, Ro. They're not what you'd call energetic climbers--BUT they know where to look for good bark when they want it. "Hanging around" -- snort!!
Thanks for this great outing! I feel right at home with all the snowy pics, even though I am so far away :)
ReplyDeleteGood for you to try snowshoeing.....I hope Santa brings you a pair next year!! Glad you had a sunny day. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful the sun can be in the winter. It can make such a huge difference even when the temp is in single digits-- I know I certainly appreciate it!
Great photos. I especially like the ones with the delicate frost, and the sweet deer bed.
Once in a while I see a porcupine in a tree here in NH. It's always a little startling to see. Not the most graceful silhouette!!
Happy rest of your week :)
yes: porcupines DO climb. just don't stand under a tree and talk one into jumping. [HAHha]
ReplyDeletenow that you have learned, invest in some lighter-weight snowshoes. shorter, too. crampons really help on the hillsides.
YOU GO, GIRL!!!!
xx
hey: my verification word was "hikesse." HAHha.
Marie: I want to be a "hikesse" -- that is TOO funny! You could come visit as a "guest snowshoe guru"--lead a few more expeditions on the refuge??
ReplyDeleteSongbird: Porcupine silhouettes--heheeheeeee!! And you're right--a little sunshine makes -20F MUCH more bearable.
I thought you two would like the snow scenes! And when I first learned there were porcupines on the prairie, I was astounded--who knew??????? They're fun to watch--from a distance...a SAFE distance.
:-)
I'm adding hikesse to my vocabulary !
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your framed morning shot is *wonderful* too :)