February in Vermont

Below are excerpts from Ellen’s journal. She has kept her Walden Hill Journal going since we moved from Illinois. We hope you enjoy reading them for a vicarious experience of Vermont.

Feb. 2, 2005 Groundhog Day. February finds us comfortably stuck in the winter doldrums. Calm winds and high pressure have marooned Vermont in a sea of sunshine with daytime temps warming into the 30’s and clear crispy cold nights still hovering in the single digits. Mount Washington actually was reporting 19° and 100 mile visibility. In practical terms these welcome doldrums mean we can open the quilts to a strengthening winter sun instead of lighting the woodstove, and the snowblower and shovel are getting a well-earned rest. The snowshoes however are finally seeing daily use as we partake in this exhilarating winter playground. After a very icy and frigid winter that started early in December and lasted most of January, we’re certainly ready to shake off any cabin fever and start to enjoy being out in the clear, sunny days of February. Regardless of what the Punxsutawney groundhog sees today, we’re in for at least six more weeks of winter and if the doldrums persist, there’ll be no complaints from Walden Hill.

Feb. 5, 2005 It’s been 10 days in a row now of sunshine, calm winds and no precip. The same is forecast through the weekend. Thursday saw the thermometer climb above freezing and yesterday went well into the 40’s. It continues to be crystal clear and cold at night with a shocking display of millions of stars. The big dipper is in its question mark position, wondering if we haven’t somehow skipped February and moved directly into March. With daytime temps above freezing and nights plunging back into the teens, it seems like sugaring weather which normally occurs near the end of March up our way. Meanwhile the snow pack is giving way to bare ground and the snowshoe trail while still intact has turned very slushy. Took advantage of another amazingly clear night and more friendly 20° temps to look for comet Machholz. With a bit of navigational help online and Cassiopeia as my guide, I did indeed find the comet. For now it’s visible with the naked eye, even its wisp of a tail. While searching, I was rewarded by sighting a very long, lingering meteor and a brilliantly rising Jupiter on the eastern horizon.

Feb. 7, 2005 Today marks day 12 of continuous sunshine. That must set some sort of record. What an exhilarating break from the harshness of winter. As Hal Borland so wisely observed, “A mild day in January is a break and a momentary relief, a chance for man to catch his breath; but when February relaxes for a day or two it is a promise.” Hi 40’s over the weekend brought record breaking temps not only to Vermont but throughout the U.S.. We’re seeing lots of open ground, especially around the trees. Hopefully the maple trees are paying more attention to the length of daylight rather than reacting to the unseasonably warm days. Sending the sap flowing now would leave the buds too vulnerable to our inevitable return to winter. So far it’s only the osiers that seem unusually bright, their red stems shouting against the snow. Our road is coming out a bit, creating a mini-mud season. The frost must be very deep this year with two very colds months in January and December. A little thaw now will help lessen the big one in March. I still needed a ski pole for walking the road where slick ice remains in the more tree protected areas. There was no need for the woodstove this weekend. Warmth collected during the day lasted well into the night. Jeff took advantage of the lull to clean out the stove pipe. It’s encouraging to let the diminishing woodpile take a rest too.

Feb. 10, 2005 We’re literally being dumped back into winter. It’s been snowing all day with about 12 to 14 inches accumulation so far. It’s a very wet, heavy snow, more indicative of March or April than February. It’s a good thing we had previously shoveled down the porch because today's snow alone is halfway up the glass doors. A tiny mouse was scurrying through the tunnels at the bottom of the avalanche mound, climbing up the glass a ways before sliding back down and popping in and out of another series of holes. Too bad the cats weren’t there to enjoy the show.

Feb. 11, 2005 The morning tally brings our snow up to 2 feet. At least the last half of that was much lighter snow with considerably less water content. Falling temperatures no doubt account for the change in consistency. It’s snow that’s much more susceptible to drifting and that’s exactly what the wind is accomplishing now. It should be beautiful snow for skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling with that wet snow pack underneath and a foot of fluffy snow on top. The sun is attempting to break through and add to the beauty of the day. Now it finally looks like February. A few redpolls have joined the chickadees at the feeder.

Feb. 14, 2005 Happy Valentines Day. It’s good to feel the warmth of the sun this morning after seeing the thermometer drop to the minus side of zero last night. Along with the frigid temps came a sparkling, clear, starlit night. The moon shone briefly before setting to make room for the milky way and a firmly stanced Orion. We’ve got plenty of snow again with excellent snowshoeing conditions, once the trail is blazed, that is. Opening the path is a very aerobic endeavor. Fortunately our neighbors enjoy using the path too and help keep it nicely packed. There’s not too much animal activity visible in the new snow. They must be waiting out the storm. One grouse trough and a single wing impression was all I noticed.

Feb. 15, 2005 More heart attack snow today as the temperature rose well into the 40’s, turning the deep heavy snow into deep, heavy slush. Even the snowblower had trouble coping as the slush compacted in the blades. This snowfall must have started out as lighter flakes because the drifting was substantial. I did some shoveling on the upper drive and then worked with Jeff breaking up chucks in the path of the snowblower. Clearing the upper drive was our morning workout with the lower drive providing an afternoon of very aerobic exercise. The one redeeming feature is that there was no ice to contend with this time.

Feb. 18, 2005 More thawing, ice and finally snow to keep our snowshoe trail cushioned but firm. This last snowfall left the trees thickly outlined in snow with minimal wind to disturb these beautiful sculptures. Tenacious, dried beech leaves hang onto their branches adding that unique rustling sound and golden color to the winter landscape. Temperatures are dropping with the setting sun and the wind has picked up, very effectively erasing our tracks in the field, leaving a clean slate for whatever ventures out in the night. Meanwhile we continue to take advantage of the lengthening days to enjoy the long afternoon shadows and a snowshoe in the woods.

Feb. 20, 2005 Started this beautiful clear sunny day at 8° below zero this morning but it’s managed to warm up into the low twenties. Took a long snowshoe across Gore Road to the edge of the woods then back across the open road, up the hill and back home. The White Mountains were very white and striking in the late afternoon directional light. Sicards have kept a series of trails open so it was relatively easy walking in their “footsteps”. Sira the dog, has been bounding along with them. A much more deliberate canine trail headed away from the path, probably a coyote. Very large, single impressions, widely spaced crossed the road. I’m assuming that was a moose since their tracks are often seen near that man-made ditch. It was a chilly walk made more comfortable by heading into the sun on the return trail. I got some much needed aerobic exercise, climbing back up to the top of the road. Sunset is around 5:00 now but twilight lingers well past 5:30. It may feel like we’re gaining over winter’s darkness but with the setting sun the thermometer quickly drops to the minus side of zero. Winter retains its strong grip.

Feb. 22, 2005 More light, fluffy snow today. The weatherman says we’ve had 6 days in a row of snow with snowfall 12 out of the past 14 days. The ski industry is happy especially since this is a vacation week for many of the eastern schools. The thermometer reached the high 30’s today without the help of the sun. It was perfect for snowshoeing in the gently falling, large-flaked snow. It looked like a deer had followed our trail on the logging road. It’s amazing how the animals large and small, take advantage of our cleared pathways.

Feb. 23, 2005 Strong gusts of wind are clearing the snow-laden trees, creating clouds of snow. Swirling snowdust sparkles in the morning sun. Snow “smoke” gently settles in the valley until the next gust of wind stirs it all up again. Retreating clouds form a brief steel gray screen to dramatically offset the bright white winter scene. We enjoyed a winter wonderland drive through Tampico and on to Lyndonville and East Burke to lunch at the River Garden Cafe with friends. The raging river along Rte 114 was jamming up ice flows into angular sculptures. Occasional snow flurries completed the scene. On return, I had just enough time for shoveling the stairs, refilling the bird feeders and a quick snowshoe before sunset. Supper’s entertainment was the full moonrise through bare poplar branches.

Feb. 28, 2005 We’re ending the month of February under mostly cloudy skies after several days of glorious winter sunshine. It was Presidents’ Day vacation week for New England schools and a great extended week for winter sports. Fresh powdery snow and sunny days helped Vermont put on her best winter face for the tourists. I’ve made two new bird discoveries with the help of friends. The purple finch and house finch are not the same but rather two distinct birds. What we tend to see at our feeders is the purple finch. Also there are two common nuthatches, the white-breasted and the red-breasted. I’ll have to be more observant to detect who’s visiting the feeder. I’ve been out creating a more extensive series of snowshoe trails through our woods and am enjoying access to the swampy areas which are only accessible with a good snow cover. I discovered a small fur ball which on closer inspection turned out to be a mouse “cloak” complete with tail. I’m sure that the cats would have enjoyed playing with it but I opted to leave it in the woods. You never know when a cold mouse might be looking for an extra fur coat to keep warm.