Beech Nut.
Sure enough, it began to snow pretty early, and it piled up fast. A wind-whipped-but-wet snowfall—unlike the blizzard of a couple weeks ago that dumped a fine, drifting cover of white on everything. This storm covered everything in white, for sure, but its substance was heavy, gloppy. A lot easier to make snowmen with.
The open trail.
I watched it snow from my desk for most of the day. Watched the plows roar by, watched the slow-moving traffic—quite a bit of traffic, I thought, given the conditions. Out back I heard a titmouse and some chickadees that, because of the high wind and snow, sounded a lot farther away than they really were.
I finally reached a stopping point. Grabbed my snowshoes. Jack was overjoyed to be heading out in it. We drove along semi-cleared roads to Beech Hill.
We plowed into the parking lot. Not a soul had been there—we were the first to walk the trail today, I feel sure. The wind was blowing steadily at maybe 20 or 30 miles an hour, with higher gusts. About eight or nine inches of snow lay on the ground by then, with deeper spots. I took Jack off-leash for the second time ever (both during heavy snow, for safety’s sake), and he bounded up ahead a little ways. He’d always stop then, though, and look back, checking on me. The snowfall reached his armpits (so to speak), and he had to bound through it. Bound, bound, bound.
Windswept hillside.
About half-way up the trail, we were both panting. Dog actually moved behind me about then and began following my shallower snowshoe track—occasionally stepping on the back of my left shoe. In a couple of places, the wind whipped crazily from the north, left to right across our path, causing us to teeter and squint. Drifts to a couple feet there. Incredibly, there suddenly appeared a hole in the clouds and a hint of blue sky for a moment. But only for a moment.
At the summit, Beech Nut stood plastered with snow. At least its porch offered a respite, a pause, a place out of the wind for a bit.
Coming down was easier. Of course I neither saw nor heard a bird up there today (although I looked around for an owl). Jack dashed along ahead. By the time we got back to the truck, we knew we’d had some good exercise, that’s for sure.
Tonight, still windy. The snow seems to have stopped, though. I’ll be shoveling in the morning.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
No birds seen or heard on the hill today.
Elsewhere
1. Tufted titmouse
2. Black-capped chickadee
Jack.
