January 29,2026
Today might be a nice time to go for a ski with me. You’ll need some warm clothes, and it’s a beautiful day so bring sunscreen and water as well. I’ll have some snacks and binoculars!
The valley you see above is looking east toward the Gallatin Mountain Range. From the west side of Yellowstone park, we’ve just crossed the west boundary from this view.
As you can see, lots of amber colored shrubby willow indicating this is a rich wetland. It hasn’t snowed for a few days, so we’ll see lots of tracks and sign of activity since our last snow. When the snow is deep enough with lots of airy pockets exist in the snowpack, it becomes a safe and “warm” ( warmer than the ambient temperature) environment. Insects and small rodents spend their days and nights in there. Sometimes, birds like Grouse, will even burrow into the snowpack and spend the nights there where it is protected (like being in a sleeping bag ) from the coldest of nighttime temperatures. If one is skiing by early in the morning and they explode out of their snowy dwelling, it can spike your heart rate really quickly!
The Ruffed Grouse we saw was out in the open, but hurried into the trees for camouflage.
We will see signs of another bird, however (photo below) . Can you see the wing prints and the tail feather prints…It looks like as it came down to the ground level, probably to pick up a small rodent like a mouse, it dropped close to the snow and a few feathers left a mark, then we can see the full imprint of the rounded wings, maybe as it was taking off. Probably the birds feet hit the ground to pick up the prey and left the prints or holes in the snow…..look at this photo and imagine how the print below formed.
This Great Gray owl photo is from an internet bird site, showing how they catch prey on top of the snow
This occurs on clear, cold nights where air temperatures drop well below freezing, causing the water to become supercooled. Small, slushy ice disks develop in fast moving water and attach themselves to the stream bed. These continue to grow and form a layer of ice on the bottom, but no surface ice exists.It’s not that common and as we can see, needs some specific conditions to form!
As we move along, we’ll see lots of signs of beaver and moose in this riparian: (wetlands related to rivers or streams) ecosystem.
We know who has been hanging around before we got here!
And what is a midden?….see the answer below where I sign off!
Notice the claw marks, perhaps old bear clawing done when the tree was much smaller. As the tree grew wider and the bark thickened , the marks look much larger……or…was this tree gored by bison horns. We’ll have to look for more clues. One clue could be up above and to the left of the long deep marks is a very faint, yellowish grouping of 4-5 parallel lines. No question an unknown species of bear has been clawing at this tree!
We are on our way back to the car now and wow, has it been a beautiful day. The shadows are getting longer and the air temperature is cooling a bit.
We are grateful for these protected Wild Places, not just for us to get out and enjoy and fill our souls, but for all the other life forms who live out there. May they all stay “Forever Wild”
My very best to you for this 2026. Leslie
PS…the photo above is a Red Squirrel midden, a stash of cones, typically made at the base of a tree, that is buried and covered with snow. A squirrel pantry they can dig into later in the winter!
Worth mentioning is the Kid for the Wild Scholarship application period is still open. April 28 is the deadline for applications if you know any young person ( 11-18) who is interested in experiencing time outside, at a camp, or school, or volunteer project that would take them somewhere needing support. Our goal is to encourage these opportunities for young people to experience the wonder and value of wild places.
https://walkinjim.com/ is a link to Jim’s site and just open the Kid for the Wild Scholarship page
Below is a link to the application for a scholarship:
One last read to bring a smile….the words to Walkin Jim’s song “Kid for the Wild”
A Kid For The Wild
by Walkin’ Jim Stoltz
Now, when I was a babe just about knee high
How I loved all them worms and the butterflies
And I felt the need just to crawl thru the weeds
Talkin’ to the critters, all the bugs and the bees
And Mom says to Dad, “whats with this kid?”
And Dad says, “Mom, don’t flip your lid,
It’s just his style, he’s a kid…. for the wild.
Yes, as I grew well I hit the woods
‘Cause walkin’ out there made me feel so good
Just to be me , You know it felt so free,
I could wander here or there or go climb a tree,
And I watched the deer and I chased the rabbits
And the chipmunks too and I learned their habits,
Mom says to Dad, “I’m afraid he’s weird”
Dad says to Mom, “Oh I think it’s clear”
It’s just his style, he’s a kid…. for the wild.
I like things the way they are
Not inside cages or in plastic jars,
You know I like to see, things runnin’ free
And I have the idea they were meant to be,
There’s more to life than just T.V.
There’s the rivers and the mountains and the clouds and me,
It’s just my style, I’m a kid….. for the wild.
I like critters like grizzly bears,
Spotted owls and desert hares,
And I can’t understand, the big money man,
Chase them from their homes and change the land,
They have a right to live for their own distinction,
Ain’t no call for their extinction.
Just my style, I’m a kid ….. for the wild.
Yeh, I like places where there ain’t no roads
You can listen to the cricketts and the hoppin’ toads,
It’s all right there, even in the air,
The wilderness is something so precious and rare,
You know, to throw it away it just don’t seem fair,
Let’s all get together really start to care.
Just my style, I’m a kid ….. for the wild.
I guess I’ll always have this thirst
Clean water and air, you know the Earth comes first,
Let’s save the seas, and the mountains and trees,
Let’s keep it wild and keep it free,
And when your parents tell you go to bed
And they close the door, and they nod their heads,
They’ll say, ” It’s just that style, we got a kid….. for the wild.
Yes, it’s just that style, we got a kid…. for the wild.”
Be a kid…for the wild!