It has been so warm this week that when I was walking today I wouldn't have been surprised to find the bear out again - but there were no signs, I am happy to report. Warm temperatures - over 50 degrees on Christmas day - and more rain have washed away much of the Thanksgiving Day snow, and the ice on Lake Wicwas has retreated yet again.
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| December 27 |
And this was after we had a small dose of wet snow earlier in the week that had the world looking wintry again.
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| December 23 |
Then just a few days later, anywhere the sun could get through or water could collect, the ground was bare.
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| Sunlight Reflects off Large Puddles in the Trail |
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The streams are running like spring freshets, and the lake is back up several inches above full level.
The repeated melt-freeze cycles have converted the remaining snow flakes into various forms of opaque and clear ice crystals.
On the surface of the lake, wind and waves tossed chunks of ice many feet up onto the ice, leaving them stranded far from the water's edge.
The plants are animals are a bit perplexed, with green grass and ground cover appearing, and even some buds popping out.
Even the snow fleas think it's March - I found hundreds of them hatched out the surface of the snow in an area exposed to the sun.
The Black Bear may not have emerged to take advantage of the moment but other animals have!
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| Pine Cone Debris left by a Red Squirrel |
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