Winter Nature Watch Opportunities in Land Between The Lakes

Got the winter blues? Embrace the season by taking part in one of the many wildlife-viewing van tours offered at Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. Over the next several weeks there will be multiple guided tours offering outdoor enthusiasts a chance to witness some of nature�s greatest moments. Registration is required for all tours, and space is limited.

The Land Between The Lakes ongoing Nature Watch tour series highlights many birds that call the area in western Tennessee and Kentucky home during the winter. During these tours, you may see everything from pelicans to pintails!

* LBL is offering Eagle Viewing Van Tours from 1-4:30pm on Sundays, Jan. 22, 29, and February 5th. Winter is the peak season for seeing bald eagles in LBL; both resident eagles and visiting "snowbirds" are out looking for fish around the lakes. You'll visit the best spots in LBL for spotting these magnificent creatures. Cost is $7/adult and $5/child.

* On February 11th, the LBL is offering a special Nature Watch tour that brings you to Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge, just south of LBL. They will explore this bottomland habitat in search of harriers, sandhill cranes, and thousands of migrant ducks. The cost is $10/adult and $7/child and runs from 9am-12pm.

* The month of March offers a chance to see hundreds of pelicans as they migrate through the area, as well as our resident eagles on their giant nests, incubating eggs or sheltering their chicks. Join the LBL on either March 18 or 24, for a Nature Watch tour that highlights these two amazing species. This two-hour tour costs $7/adult and $5/child.

Please call 270-924-2020, weekdays from 8am-4:30pm, to learn more about each tour and make your reservation. You can also click here for more information about the Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area.


Jeff
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Discover the Joys of Winter Hiking

Many hikers tend to run from the woods as soon as the first snow flakes begin to fall. However, winter is great time to hit the trail. Not only are the crowds gone, but many parks show off their true beauty after a fresh snowfall. With just a little more attention to detail beforehand, anyone can have a safe and enjoyable hike during the winter.

Although it might feel quite frigid at the trailhead, your body will begin generating plenty of heat after just 10 or 15 minutes of walking. The best thing you can do to keep the cold out is to dress in layers: a base layer that wicks moisture off your body, a fleece jacket for insulating warmth, and a shell to keep you dry and to keep the wind from penetrating your core. Most importantly, dressing in layers allows you to adjust your attire as you heat-up or cool-off. When dressing for a winter hike, always remember the adage: cotton kills! Never wear anything made of cotton while hiking in the backcountry. Once wet, cotton no longer insulates you from the cold. Moreover, it wicks heat away from your body and puts you at risk of becoming hypothermic.

Some people are prone to cold feet in the winter. One of the keys to keeping your feet warm is to make sure they stay dry. Wear a good pair of hiking socks, made of wool blends or synthetic fabrics, that wick moisture away from your skin, retain heat when wet, and dry faster if they become wet. I always keep an extra pair in my pack in case the ones I�m wearing do get wet. (Expert Advice: How to Choose Socks) You should also wear above-the-ankle hiking boots which help to keep snow away from your feet. You may want to consider wearing gaiters, especially if there are several inches of snow on the ground.

To round-out your winter apparel, don�t forget about a good pair of gloves, a ski cap and maybe even a balaclava.

If the snow is too deep in the mountains, consider hiking at lower elevations, or even wearing snowshoes. If you expect a lot of ice, especially in areas where there might be steep drop-offs, consider bringing crampons specifically made for hiking. These are sometimes referred to as traction devices, or in-step crampons, which you can either strap-on or slide onto your boots.

Trekking poles are another excellent choice for helping to maintain your balance on sections of trail with slick ice and snow.

After outfitting yourself with the proper winter gear, hikers will then need to focus on staying hydrated and properly fueled while out on the trail. Hiking in the cold, especially in snow, burns more calories. By some estimates, hikers can burn as much as 50% more calories when compared to similar distances and terrain in the summer. By not consuming enough calories while on the trail you become prone to getting cold faster. Make sure you bring plenty of high-energy snacks with you to munch on periodically throughout your hike. Watch out for foods that can freeze solid, such as some power bars. Or, instead of storing in your backpack, put some snacks inside your fleece jacket. Your body should generate enough heat to prevent them from freezing.

Although it may sound counter-intuitive, it can actually be easier to experience dehydration in the winter, versus hiking in the summer. Dehydration can occur faster in cold weather because the air is much drier. Moreover, dehydration can be dangerous because it can accelerate hypothermia and frostbite. Make sure you bring plenty of liquids with you, and drink often while on the trail.

If you�re storing water bottles in your backpack during a very cold day, you may need to insulate them to prevent them from freezing. An old wool sock will work in this case. Also, you may want to turn the bottle upside down to prevent the water from freezing at the neck. If you plan to be out for several hours, consider bringing a thermos containing a hot drink, or even soup.

Other winter hazards hikers need to be aware of include hiking in steep terrain that�s prone to avalanches, or a storm that covers the trail with fresh snow, thus making navigation difficult. You should always carry a topographical map and a compass with you in case you ever need help finding your way back to the trailhead if you were to become lost.

Other gear to bring with you includes a first aid kit, firestarter, waterproof matches, a pocket knife, an emergency blanket and maybe even a bivy sack.

Finally, let someone know where you�re going, when you�ll be back, and who to call if they don�t hear back from you at a specified time.

With a little care and preparation up front, anyone can discover the joys of winter hiking.






Jeff
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Glacier�s Historic Winter

The winter of 2010/2011 was an historic one for Glacier National Park. A park press release at the end of April reported that USGS snow surveys measured 106 inches of snow on the ground at the 5,900 foot level near Siyeh Bend on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. A whopping 166 inches were recorded at the 7,000 foot level!

All that snow resulted in the latest opening date ever for the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road, which tops out at Logan Pass at an elevation of 6646 feet, didn�t open until July 13th this year. The prior record for the latest opening date was set in 1953 when the road didn�t open until June 24th.

Here are two NPS photos showing the massive plowing project on the Going-to-the-Sun Road this past spring. Would you want this job?


All that snow resulted in a couple of historic avalanches.

One avalanche that received quite a bit of notoriety delivered a serious blow to the historic Sperry Chalet. The backcountry hotel, accessed only by a 6-mile hike, sustained a fair amount of damage, and resulted in a truncated tourist season this summer.

The avalanche slid off Lincoln Peak sometime during midwinter and plowed into the south end of the stone dormitory building. Snow and debris damaged the roof, broke a door, took off some shutters, and blew open windows. Four rooms on the interior were completely filled with snow. The damage delayed the opening, and forced an early summer closure as crews worked to complete repairs before another winter set in.

Here's what the chalet looked like in April in this NPS photo:

Here's what it looked like during our visit in mid-August:

Just a hundred feet up slope from the chalet the remains of the avalanche were still on display. Notice how most of the trees are still bent or were snapped off:

Another significant avalanche occurred on the other side of Gunsight Pass, not far from Sperry. The avalanche, just below Gunsight Lake, resulted in hundreds of trees being snapped off only a couple feet above the ground. We hiked this trail in September and had to bushwhack through a section of trail, more than a tenth of a mile long, that was choked with dead trees and crushed willows. Underneath the debris, still at this late date, were several feet of packed snow and ice.

While climbing through the debris I noticed this ice bridge:

I�m not sure how long it will take the park to clear the obstruction, but it�s likely to be there for awhile. As a result of heavy lingering snow, the trail over Gunsight Pass was not even expected to open in 2011.






Jeff
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