Happy New Year!

Let’s hope it’s a good one, eh? We sure could use one of those right about now.

Anyway, the park has a fresh blanket of snow and is looking gorgeous. If you are nearby, I hope you get a chance to visit while it lasts. The lower river trail is especially nice.

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About 50% of the river through the park is covered with ice and snow these days, but I wouldn’t say “frozen over” because I’ve been watching how the surface forms from floating slush and chunks of ice that accumulates at the rapids. At one point last week, the river was so backed up by the ice jam that the falls were almost completely submerged, at least a 3-foot rise, but that has abated some.

I caught a glimpse of a muskrat in the river this morning just before it ducked back under the water, which has been especially clear lately. Pretty much anywhere you look in, you can see the bottom now, which is a pleasant change from the turbid summer flow. I’ve heard reports of an ermine sighting, which I read is the name for any “species in the genus Mustela … in its pure white winter coat,” but I haven’t had that pleasure yet.

There has been quite a steady crowd of mallards on the surface recently, and they don’t appear to be put off by the cold water very much.

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Till next time…