December 23, 2018: Winter Solstice

Well, it wasn't what we expect the first day of astronomical winter to be like:  the temperature was in the 40s, and it poured rain most of the day.  But the day certainly didn't start out that way - all over the Lakes Region people were treated to a blazing sunrise:

Dave Thorpe captured this gorgeous sunrise as morning dawned on the winter solstice

Thank you Dave for sharing that beautiful start to a dreary day.

Then on the first full day of winter it was more like the first day of spring - foggy, warm, and everything melting fast.

The first day of winter?

Much of our early snow has washed away and what's left wasn't good for much of anything - skiing, tracking, or even walking due to deep puddles on the trails.

Frozen ground impedes water seepage, forming large puddles

Streams are running fast like the spring freshets

Because of the ugly forecast for the 19th I took my winter solstice hike a day early, hiking up Red Hill for the third year.  It's becoming a tradition.

The Red Hill fire tower stand tall in the blue winter sky

The southern White Mountains from the Tripyramids to Chocorua

It was a beautiful clear New Hampshire day with blue sky north and south except for down low over unfrozen Lake Winnipesaukee where mist was rising and condensing in the cold morning air.

Steam rises from Lake Winnipesaukee with the Belknap Range behind

There were a couple of inches of nice dry snow above 1200' elevation and the only tracks down the Cabin Trail were from a deer that took advantage of the well packed snow, using it for a good half a mile.

Deer tracks in fresh snow on Red Hill's Cabin Trail

Earlier I had been up on Arbutus Hill and the White Mountain Ledge in the Hamlin Conservation Area and found other signs of deer.

This deer rub is on a maple sapling

Bucks rub their antlers on small trees, especially hemlock, both to put their scent on it and to help rub off the antler's velvet.  With mating season over they will lose their antlers over the next few weeks.  Since their antlers fall off every year, why don't we find them in the forest?  It's because they are loaded with valuable minerals, so the woodland animals chew them up as soon as they sniff them out them.  If you look in active dear yards in the spring you may find one; its suggested to avoid deer yards in the winter so not to drive animals away from their yards which afford them protection from harsh winter weather and predators.

I'm still thinking the bears are gone for the winter, but this warm spell might change that - we'll see.  Back in early November, when they were still very active, a good size bear was captured on a trail camera as it took a stroll along the shore of Lake Wicwas.  Bruce Bouley captured this video of it; definitely worth watching - it's one big bear!  Thanks Bruce!

In addition to bears, the thaw may bring skating back, but only after a good solid freeze; the integrity of the ice is unknown at this point.  I hope the bob house that appeared on Lake Wicwas last week made it through the thaw.

The first bob house of the season appeared on December 16th

Last night's chill followed by seasonal temperatures today should get things moving back in the right direction.  And we may have missed the full cold moon on the solstice, but we had a second chance to enjoy it this morning.

The Cold Moon sets over Wicwas