Cedar Swamp Snowshoe

Mrs and I took a short snowshoe hike today through one of the Atlantic white cedar swamps we have here in town.  This one is tucked away behind the town's leaf and brush dump area.  It's nice to visit the swamp in winter because all of the water is frozen solidly and you can get in to see areas otherwise inaccessible.

I was glad to get out on the snowshoes, though they were not really needed.  We really have not had much snow compared to the rest of the northeast.  It's a bummer, really.

I had not really used my snowshoes since sending them to Vermont Snowshoe Furniture to be dipped.  They really needed that since the rawhide webbing would get rather slimy after a day out in the snow.  It's very much like what happens to a rawhide chew after a dog has been gnawing on it for a while.  They are dipped in some type of lacquer that is extremely durable.  I had not adjusted the bindings properly so they wore a bit funny as I walked.  I reset them when we got home and all seems well now.

Old school snowshoes and a homemade walking stick.   Make me happy.  I made the walking stick some years ago out of striped maple from upstate NY.  In another life, I made many walking sticks.

 Entrance to the town leaf/grass/brush dump.  They make compost here free for the residents to take.

Wingtips in the snow.  I believe these were made by a crow.

 Red squirrel tracks.

 Raccoon tracks.  The swamp was loaded with them.

 Crow tracks.

The next 6 images are in the Atlantic white cedar swamp.

Snowshoe tracks and those that made them.  It was a nice, albeit brief, outing.