Snowshoe hares are masters of disguise because they change their coats from grey in the summer to white in the winter. Their footprints in the snow, however, give their location away. That is, if the hare is still there! This trail is littered with tracks going in every direction and I'm always on the lookout for the hare that made those tracks. Today I almost missed it! You can see where I tried to plant my pole in the snow but it fell over. I didn't dare pick it up. I had a long lens on my camera so I backed up but even then the picture I got was a little close!
While moose prefer marshy areas with lots of willows in the summer, they are incredibly cold tolerant and often live in the high country in the winter. While there isn't any "lush" vegetation in the winter, they subsist on the bark and twigs of conifer trees. On this morning, we spotted two bulls crossing the road as they made their way down the mountains. I didn't get a good picture of the younger one, but it looks like older one wintered well!
Lake Estes is unfrozen now and the birds are getting more active. Could it be that spring is not far away? It was fascinating to watch a bald eagle and red-tailed hawk perform some acrobatics. I'm guessing that someone was being protective of their turf!
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