SkywatchFriday: Winter Life

Though us skiers would like a bit more snow, the weather has been gorgeous--lots of blue sky days whether as the waning moon sets over the cross country ski trails in the hills just north of Butte, Montana:

Or looking west to the mountain peaks of the Pintler Wilderness on my walk from Walkerville to my office at Montana Tech:

Critters in Winter
I love tracks and tracking. After spotting this pine marten track across a ski trail, I followed it as the as the marten wove its way through the pines searching for a not-too-wary (or quick) red squirrel (note the classic,  paired, offset tracks of the weasel-family):

 After cutting this red fox track on my walk to work:

I followed it across an open field until the fox came upon the tracks of a cottontail rabbit, which it then followed hoping for a meal:

Unlike the small-footed cottontail, our snowshoe hares are remarkable for their huge feet, which leave distinctive tracks and allow them to "float" and outrun predators (think of that small footed fox!) across soft snow:

Unlike these skittish, seldom-seen critters, the moose tend to be pretty calm this time of year. Sometimes you can ski past and they don't even look up:

Other times, though busy feeding,:

They do take notice and amble a bit deeper into the quaking aspen grove:

Cross Country Skiing

We are blessed with the classic ski trails at The Moulton just a few miles north of our little city. A few inches of fresh powder lured MollyTheDog and I out early one morning, seen here on the Double Jack run of the ungroomed Buzzy Trail (MTD doesn't slow down much for those turns!):

And after skiing, how nice to sit in the warm morning sun, beer in hand and cat on lap. Even with an air temperature in the teens (deg F), it's warm enough for a nap:

Life is good!