February 28

Friday, Remi and I hiked the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail starting from Luce Rd. in Alma. The mid morning weather was sunny with a slight breeze out of the southeast and a temperature of zero degrees after reaching -17 degrees earlier this morning. I left the warmth of the car and headed west where I noticed some fresh rabbit tracks on the trail. My pace was slow as I broke through crusted snow while Remi was able to walk on top. Up ahead on my left, I spotted a half dozen Cedar Waxwings fluttering from tree to tree while occasionally pausing to warm themselves by the morning sun. On my right, the red color of a male Cardinal was easy to see against the snowy white background. Further along, I noticed a Fox Squirrel racing through the snow and scampering up a tall tree only to disappear among the higher branches. I continued through a corridor of leafless trees where I could hear in the distance the song of a Nuthatch on my left and a drumming woodpecker on my right. Approaching the 1-mile, Winans crossroad, I stepped over a heavily used deer trail. I turned around near a clearing and headed east where I heard a few noisy Blue Jays. Continuing east, I noticed a stand of Aspen trees while feeling the chill of wind in my face. Occasional depressions in the snow contained reminders of autumn such as these recently fallen Beech leaves. The morning sun felt good as it created long shadows of tree trunks across the path. Strong winds lately had formed lovely drifts along the bank. Finally, we made it back to the car for rest, warmth and trip home.

In the season of snow

When leaves disappear

You dart over branches

You display no fear

You scamper so fast

From tree to tree

You chatter above

You fascinate me

Creature of nature

In light of winter days

Squirrel of the woods

I admire your ways

D. DeGraaf

February 20

Thursday, Remi and I hiked at Forest Hill Nature Area where I wore snowshoes again to navigate through the deep snow. The early morning weather was overcast with a temperature of 30 degrees and a slight breeze out of the north. At the crest of the hill, I gazed west at a landscape that remained buried in deep snow after another record-setting week. Passing Mallard Marsh, I trudged through Bobolink Meadow where I spotted the shell of a Milkweed pod still attached to the stalk and dreamed of spring. I turned into North Woods and headed west where the snow was deep enough to nearly cover an 18-inch marker post next to the trail. Near the boardwalk, I noticed where some hungry critter had dug up the honeycomb of a Bald-faced hornet’s nest that had fallen from a nearby tree earlier in the season. I exited the woods and began to circle Succession Field where I began to see evidence that the prolonged winter and deep snow was forcing deer to feed on less desirable food such as Willow and Dogwood bark. Continuing on the far west trail, I broke the strap on one of my snowshoes rendering it useless thus forcing me to carry my poles in one hand, my snowshoes in another while shuffling through deep snow. At the entrance to South woods, I abandoned my snowshoes and followed the trail south to the edge of desolate Swanson Swamp where I noticed some rarely-seen green excrement of the Cottontail Rabbit, since they quickly eat it . I turned around and retraced my steps when I spotted a Raccoon curled up and sleeping in the crotch of the large Oak tree near the entrance. Exiting the woods, I grabbed my snowshoes and poles and headed east past the picnic tables that were barely visible under the deep snow. At Artist Overlook, I looked down on snow-covered Sora Swale and continued south where I noticed purple spots on the snow where deer had been feeding on wild grapes that had fallen earlier from a vine in a tree above. Following the south trail, I arrived at Frog Fen, turned north and began to climb Reflection Hill when three deer ran up the hill in front of me, stopped and stared before heading west. At the top of the hill, I looked down at Grebe Pond and proceeded down the hill to the north where the snow had been flattened yesterday by school children sledding. Heading toward the classroom, I once again could see where bark had been stripped off willow trees by hungry deer. Finally, we arrived at the classroom where I filled the bird feeders before hopping in the car for our trip home.

Daybreak in February

Ends the longer night

Nature opens her eyes

In dawn’s early light

Gone, birds of summer

Butterflies, out of sight

North wind prevails

Gone, bees in flight

A frigid morning hike

For me is shear delight

D. DeGraaf

February 10

Monday, Remi and I hiked the Sumner Parcel trail that was recently established on 20 acres of land on the north side of Hubscher Park, a Gratiot County park located 6 miles southwest of Alma. The noontime weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 10 degrees and a slight southwesterly breeze. I headed northeast on the 1 mile loop that was covered with fresh snow and showed no tracks of recent hikers. Turning due north, I paused to hear a distant crow. The trail turned east and meandered along the edge of a woods where I spotted a small Red Cedar tree whose lower branches had been eaten by deer. This was a surprise since they usually avoid eating the prickly needles unless there is no other food available. I turned north and followed the path along a forest edge where several White Oak trees still retained their brown leaves. On my right was a single Jack Pine tree whose lower branches had been eaten by deer. As with the Red Cedar, this is not their preferred food and indicated they were very hungry and unable to find other sources. A bright noonday sun and a snow white clearing provided a perfect setting for several tree shadows. The trail turned south where a large White Pine came into view while I followed some fresh deer tracks. Looking up, I saw some tall, leafless Cottonwood trees against a background of rare blue sky. Passing a Wood Duck box, I came to a service road that wound along the edge of an ice-covered gravel pit that is used by the park in the summer for fishing and swimming Finally, I followed the road west back to the car for our trip home.

Tracks in snow

Let me know

You walked last night

Across fields of white

Your hooves reveal

You found a meal

Nocturnal creature

Favorite of nature

Deer of the forest

It’s time to rest

D. DeGraaf

February 6

Thursday, Remi and I hiked at Forest Hill Nature Area where the sky was mostly cloudy and the snow was deep. After putting on my snowshoes, I started on the north trail where I spotted a Cooper’s hawk flying north from Mallard Marsh. According to my new, hand-held weather monitor, the early morning temperature was 10 degrees and the wind varied between 3-6 mph out of the southwest. Today, given the harshness of the winter, I decided to envision what things were like last summer. Pausing at the crest of the hill, I glanced west at the white landscape while recalling how different it looked then. At Mallard Marsh, I noticed the ice-covered surface and again imagined what it looked like last summer. I trudged through a silent Bobolink Meadow where some of the snow drifts were two feet high. Entering North Woods, I crossed a fresh deer trail and arrived at the boardwalk where I thought about the vernal pond that was there last summer. Exiting the woods, I turned west and followed the trail around Succession Field while remembering this same trail last September. Turning east, I hiked through the stand of white birch and also imagined what this path was like back then. Turning into South Woods, I came to the edge of Swanson Swamp and recalled standing at this same spot last summer. Also, I spotted a fresh hole in an Ash tree made by a Pileated Woodpecker. I exited the woods, passed Artist Overlook and followed the south trail around to the east side of Sora Swale where I remembered this vista from last summer. Further along, I came across a patch of grass that had been cleared of snow by a deer pawing for anything green. Turning at Frog Fen, I came to the entrance to Brady Cemetery and recalled this very sight last summer. I turned north into Native Grassland where I saw a deer running east to west toward Frog Fen. Then, I came to frozen Grebe Pond where I thought about what this scene was like back in July. I continued north toward the barn where I remembered this view in the warmth and lushness of summer. Finally, I came to the car to warm up and head home thinking of spring.

Drifting snow grips the meadow

Old man winter has come to stay

Silence sweeps the forest edge

All the robins have gone away

North wind brings arctic air

Ice conceals a verdant pond

Muskrats hide in their mounds

A crow calls from far beyond

In the middle of a cedar swamp

Sheltered from the bitter chill

Steam rising from its nostrils

A Whitetail deer stands still

D. DeGraaf