The detail about trackng in snow being like a nursery really captures something essential. Fresh snow offers that rare clarity where every step tells a complete story, unlike the fragmented traces we usually work with. Been tracking in mountain environments for a while now and that immediate legibility never stops being satisfying, even when its just mapping routine movement patterns. The way seasonal change compresses in alpine regions makes every visit feel like stepping into diferent chapter of the same book.
Thank you for this! Always lovely to meet a fellow tracker, too. I agree, I never stop being grateful for snow—it teaches so much, lessons which stick in the mind. I’ve always thought it an irony that the cold season is the best to learn to track, how few people actually take that offer to learn. And a bit yes to what you say about seasonal changes in the alpine regions—I’m lucky, in that I can see these from my window too, and sometimes I swear we pass through two micro-seasons in a week! Everything is changing, and everything is there to be studied, listened to, smelled, and observed. Nature is a stupendously good teacher, on so many levels.
I followed badger tracks through my tiny woodland, past the sheep field, across the lane where they disappeared into thick hedgerow and the field beyond — I presume! Had it not been a Thursday when I was already late I'd have continued tracking him/her, sadly I had to stop but I was delighted to see the traces so close to home. There were also fox prints, deer and a young boar — I think — and the neighbours horse had obviously been up to mischief in the night too, he had left huge evidence all up and down the lane!
I loved this especially "The sky is gunmetal and thick, brown at the edges, rusting clouds silently slipping lower throughout the day..." It was like that here this evening.
I am enjoying these vignettes immensely Alex and the photo is crazy beautiful!
Have you plenty of snow? It keeps trying here, but always there is warm air too close on its heals... there is plenty of winter days left yet though, I haven't lost hope!
The detail about trackng in snow being like a nursery really captures something essential. Fresh snow offers that rare clarity where every step tells a complete story, unlike the fragmented traces we usually work with. Been tracking in mountain environments for a while now and that immediate legibility never stops being satisfying, even when its just mapping routine movement patterns. The way seasonal change compresses in alpine regions makes every visit feel like stepping into diferent chapter of the same book.
Thank you for this! Always lovely to meet a fellow tracker, too. I agree, I never stop being grateful for snow—it teaches so much, lessons which stick in the mind. I’ve always thought it an irony that the cold season is the best to learn to track, how few people actually take that offer to learn. And a bit yes to what you say about seasonal changes in the alpine regions—I’m lucky, in that I can see these from my window too, and sometimes I swear we pass through two micro-seasons in a week! Everything is changing, and everything is there to be studied, listened to, smelled, and observed. Nature is a stupendously good teacher, on so many levels.
Thanks again!
I followed badger tracks through my tiny woodland, past the sheep field, across the lane where they disappeared into thick hedgerow and the field beyond — I presume! Had it not been a Thursday when I was already late I'd have continued tracking him/her, sadly I had to stop but I was delighted to see the traces so close to home. There were also fox prints, deer and a young boar — I think — and the neighbours horse had obviously been up to mischief in the night too, he had left huge evidence all up and down the lane!
I loved this especially "The sky is gunmetal and thick, brown at the edges, rusting clouds silently slipping lower throughout the day..." It was like that here this evening.
I am enjoying these vignettes immensely Alex and the photo is crazy beautiful!
Have you plenty of snow? It keeps trying here, but always there is warm air too close on its heals... there is plenty of winter days left yet though, I haven't lost hope!