Nine A.M. Six inches of fresh powder… I wonder if I will need my snow shoes. But no, someone was here before the powder and packed me a nice base.
“They” are predicting 24-hours of lake effect snow starting later this afternoon. A few early-arriving clouds are practicing off and on, ocassionally allowing sunlight through to add a sparkle to the snow.
The wind is in a particularly creative mood. She lifts great puffs of snow from the branches of the trees and directs the sparkling crystals in swirling dances through the sunlit air. She coaxes a great black cherry bow to play against the strings of a nearby hemlock. She adds percussion – the shushing rustle of a branch full of dry beech leaves, the clacky rattle of a single leaf on another branch. Birds join in… A blue jay’s loud jeer-jeer-jeer, the high-pitched, quiet teet-teet-teet from a small flock of exploring chickadees, a nuthatch’s nasal pnnt-pnnt-pnnt.
Not many animal tracks… a squirrel, a mouse, a deer. Holes in trees capture my attention. Pileated. Bark Beetles. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Time slips away as I practice taking pictures of nothing in particular with my new lens.
I long for a heavier pack – one filled with tent, sleeping gear, food – so that I might set up camp and stay in the woods tonight.
This hike:
Access Point #4 to the Finger Lakes Trail is along ASP 3 inside Allegany State Park. It’s a little confusing because the pulloff for parking is on one side of a creek, and the entrance to the southbound section is on the other.
A little ways in, I crossed a snowmobile trail. I saw few sleds which is curious, since it was such a gorgeous winter day.
I posted more pictures on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferschlick/tags/tinyhike/
(Cross-posted at http://jenhikes.wordpress.com.)
Your pictures are absolutely stunning! I love coming back here and having a look. I could have used the picture of all your icicles in one of my posts yesterday. Do you give permission to use some of your photos? Just wondering.
Why is it called “Finger Lakes Trail” when the Finger Lakes are much farther to the East??
Those are some nice pictures Jenn. Your new camera lens works great!
I found your site through Facebook (I too am on facebook) and since I also have a passionate relationship with nature I had to stop and take a peek. I love your photos and relate to the great joy you experience being with the natural world. You have a lovely blog. I enjoyed myself here. I have both a blog and website.
My blog is at:
http://nakedineden.com/nakedinedenblog/
You can get to my website from the side bar of my blog. I just did a slide show and post about trees.
I love how you are so aware of the “seemingly” tiny details of nature. The details of nature forever intrigue me. Macro photography is so much fun, a new look at the world around us from such an intimate perspective. I hope to get a better camera at some point. I lose myself when I go into nature, with or without my camera. Such bliss. 🙂
This was a morning treat.
Thank you.
Robin Easton
Good Morning! I’ve missed your blogs of late. For some reason, my blog reader hasn’t been picking them up. Glad I finally checked in on you. Lovely entry, beautiful photos! That new lens had your name on it!! I was wondering who lived in the leaf cocoon once upon a time?
I dig the new lens. That’s the beauty of digital cameras: no need to worry about conserving film.
Hola Jennifer!
Well, even with missing animal prints or critters to pic, you managed to get some pretty cool shots!
Besos,
Mel