Kyle Forest

The weather showed snow for the two nights prior to the last Bearcamp Trackers outing. Snow is a great substrate. It comes in so many forms and depths and firmnesses, it can be easy, challenging, or nearly impossible. Usually, the day after a storm will yield some tracks- mostly rodent and squirrels, but it seems like many of the animals hunker down the day after a storm. I've heard that they want to let the snow firm up a bit so it's easier to travel on. I went into the outing with low...

In the origin story of Athena, Zeus chases Metis and she evades him by changing forms from one animal to the next. Trailing over the last few days has felt like following Metis through the snow as she morphs from one animal to the next. As you approach a new trail you see characteristics that shout out one species. You may even find yourself looking for clues to confirm your bias to this initial take. And then as you walk down the trail, the gait or snow depth/firmness or track shape changes...

Sometimes I get asked, what do you do in the Tracking Intensive? And initially, I feel baffled--tracking of course!-- but my gut reaction...