#2064 "Who Made These Tracks"

There is no question mark at the end of this title. I know the answer and thus it is more of a rhetorical question. I know who made these tracks. This trail runs along the northwestern edge of the Long Reach Peninsula. It is very well used. At one time it had been a well marked and extensively used snow mobile trail. That was before our time at Singleton Lake. Now the trail is used mainly by deer, coyotes, fisher, otters and perhaps some wolves too. Bobcats certainly use the trail. I have yet to see the cougar but they are reported to be in the area. I also made one set of boot prints long this path on this particular day. The snow squeaked under my boots indicating that it was colder than minus 8 Celsius. Cold, frozen ice crystals slide on one another making a sound. At warmer temperatures the ice crystals just quietly smush together. A meteorological friend reminded me to include this information. This painting is the partner to #2063 "Where Do the Rays Lead".

Deer love to browse on small hemlock seedlings - so much so that if there are a lot of deer, the young hemlocks are browsed into extinction. This leaves (pun intended) a forest of large and old trees but with no young hemlocks to replace them. This could be happening in this forest allowing the sugar maples, oaks and other trees to move in.