Some Winter Observations (Photo Heavy)

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

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The crazy, and unexpectedly brutal winter here has made it difficult to just keep up with my work, and hasn't left me with a lot of time for personal projects. Besides that I am more studying the woods here than familiar with them. Some acclimation this winter has been necessary. The sun has been out a lot more lately, and the temps are finally getting above freezing some, so the snow is slowly melting away. Hopefully soon I will have an easier time keeping up with work, and more time for personal projects. In the mean time, I thought I'd share some shots I've snapped while out in the woods for work, and a some time out introducing my daughter to the new environment. It has been a harsh winter, the temps have spent a lot of time in the negative double digits, with wind chills hitting -38F at times. The animals have had a very rough time just surviving the extreme temps and finding food lately. Tree bark has been the main course for a lot of rabbits, as everything else was under two to four feet of snow for the last two months. The winter started for us with five inches of snow on Thanksgiving day and that night, and our world has been white ever since.































The little one has really been a trooper in all of this new winter stuff




















There is a lot of wildlife here, that is something I really enjoy about this area.


























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Some of the plant life tells the story of the harsh winter, and I am afraid there will be a lot less hornets this year, but there signs of new growth to come, and the birds are returning.













































It has been an interesting, challenging, and at times a fun ride, but having seen the first signs of green growth in four months...I'm really ready for spring!!




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Excellent pictures. Looks about the same as here, minus the wildlife. I've been meaning to do some hiking close to home to test out some new cold weather gear, but there just hasn't been time, although I did go out to the rifle range one day when it was roughly -10F. It's actually not so bad when you're doing something fun and have some scenery to look at. Honestly, the worst part is the drive there and back.

You mentioned a possible decline in the hornet population, and I'm curious if we'll see fewer bees this year. I know that has been the trend nationally the past couple of years, but since taking up gardening, I notice these things a bit more than I used to.
 
Some really great pictures!! Thanks for sharing!
It really has been a long cold winter this year...and temps here are still below historic averages...we are also really looking forward to spring.
 
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Great pics Misty. Give it a while and you'll love the Cold. spring is coming too early here this year, will go up in the mountains for two more weeks of cold and snow in April:cool:
 
Always enjoy your pictures and stories, some of us have not been able to escape to the woods in far too long and your posts always make me look forward to the next trip. Stay warm up there!
 
Fantastic pics as usual Mist. Was waiting for the obligatory knife pic and going steady.......steady.......holding.........there it is!

Great wildlife shots.
 
WILLIAM.M said:
Another Great Post my Brother
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Thanks Doc, glad you enjoyed it!


Inazone said:
Excellent pictures. Looks about the same as here, minus the wildlife. I've been meaning to do some hiking close to home to test out some new cold weather gear, but there just hasn't been time, although I did go out to the rifle range one day when it was roughly -10F. It's actually not so bad when you're doing something fun and have some scenery to look at. Honestly, the worst part is the drive there and back.

You mentioned a possible decline in the hornet population, and I'm curious if we'll see fewer bees this year. I know that has been the trend nationally the past couple of years, but since taking up gardening, I notice these things a bit more than I used to.
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Thank you. I definitely need to invest more in lighter-weight cold weather gear myself.

Well, it's only a fear that is as of yet unsubstantiated...I just see a lot of nests that belonged to healthy hornet colonies in the summer, that have been torn to shreds by the weather, and I imagine some of the birds. I have only been here since last summer, but there was a heck of a hornet and bee population here then. I'll know more about what's up once the weather warms up.


416isToronto said:
Some really great pictures!! Thanks for sharing!
It really has been a long cold winter this year...and temps here are still below historic averages...we are also really looking forward to spring.
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Thank you, I'm glad you liked the post! Yeah, the winter I was told I could expect to see was nothing like the one we got. I don't feel so bad being ready for it to end, all of my neighbors started complaining about it before I did :)


NoFair said:
Great pics Misty. Give it a while and you'll love the Cold. spring is coming too early here this year, will go up in the mountains for two more weeks of cold and snow in April:cool:
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Thanks man. Actually it's not so much the cold that has gotten to me, as it is the expense to not be cold :) Once I have a chance to sort of few things to lesson the financial strain, then I'll be much happier with it. Though, to be honest, four solid months of a yard covered with snow...more than two feet of it the last couple of months, does seem a bit excessive to me being a southern boy and all. I try not to complain too badly though, a friend who lives in the UP has about three times this much snow in his yard...


shrapnelwound said:
Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, glad you liked them.


El Bandit0 said:
Always enjoy your pictures and stories, some of us have not been able to escape to the woods in far too long and your posts always make me look forward to the next trip. Stay warm up there!
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Thanks man, I'm glad you like the picture stories, we're trying to stay warm! The snow is melting now though, and it has actually hit 40F a couple of times. A nice change from -20F :D


utah_fish said:
Fantastic pics as usual Mist. Was waiting for the obligatory knife pic and going steady.......steady.......holding.........there it is!

Great wildlife shots.
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Thanks man, glad you enjoyed the post. Oh, you know me, if I'm around, there is a knife there somewhere :D
 
I enjoy Michigan as it has much of the same Flora and Fauna of southern Ontario, were I grew up. Great animal shots and it is nice that you spend outdoor time with your daughter.
:)
 
I am enjoying exploring the area, and looking forward to further exploration in a non-frozen, non-snow-covered terrain :) I love having my daughter out with me in the woods, and watching her learn about the natural environment. I'd rather have her out with me, than sitting in front of a television any day!
 
Great thread Mist! Nice pictures. One would think that there wouldn't be so much wildlife out and about, but you sure shot a whole lot. Awesome Eagle pics!
 
Great thread as always Mistwalker. It has been a great winter. Think about the advantages - no bugs, less people in the woods, easy to keep perishable food & beer cold, no bugs and you get a chance to practice other survival techniques such as making and using quinzhees.

Doc
 
Joe Duder said:
Great thread Mist! Nice pictures. One would think that there wouldn't be so much wildlife out and about, but you sure shot a whole lot. Awesome Eagle pics!
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Thanks Duder! Glad you liked them. Yeah, the last few weeks hunger has had a lot of animals on the prowl for food. I have seen a lot of cannibalism among the raccoon population this winter, and that is something I don't recall ever seeing back in the south. I have no idea if that is common to the northern raccoons, or if it is something brought about by the record breaking cold and snowfall of this particular winter.


Woods Walker said:
Great photos. Nice seeing kids getting out there.
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Thanks man. She has been going hiking with me since she was little. I think at this point, after four solid months of it, we are both ready for a break from hiking in the snow :)


DOC-CANADA said:
Great thread as always Mistwalker. It has been a great winter. Think about the advantages - no bugs, less people in the woods, easy to keep perishable food & beer cold, no bugs and you get a chance to practice other survival techniques such as making and using quinzhees.

Doc
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Thanks Doc. Oh, I have not missed the Cessna sized mosquitoes that's for sure, and yes during the week I have had less people to deal with in the woods while I was working. Tough on the weekends the apparently illiterate still come flying through random places on their snow mobiles wide open. Hard to blame them I guess, it does look like fun. But I park out of their way and walk around closed gates with warnings against snow mobiles, then walk a couple of miles in just for the peace from it, and they still come buzzing through, I guess that's the annoying part of them.
 
Forgot to add those Milkweed pods are fantastic tinder. The fluff makes for nice flashover tinder, the shell burns good and best of all the ovum will catch a spark from carbon steel and flint/chert/quartz etc etc.
 
Woods Walker said:
Forgot to add those Milkweed pods are fantastic tinder. The fluff makes for nice flashover tinder, the shell burns good and best of all the ovum will catch a spark from carbon steel and flint/chert/quartz etc etc.
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Yeah, I have used them with a ferro rod. I collected a few for an experiment with flint and steel using a knife spine and chert :)
 
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