February 2012

We recently took a multiday ski backpack trip to a mountain hut in Colorado. Although the snow pack remains below normal across most of the west, there had been enough recent snow in the Colorado mountains to produce good ski conditions — albeit on a thinner than typical snow pack.

It’s always interesting to run across animal tracks in the snow. Although I own a couple of books to identify animal tracks I’ve never been particularly good at it. I can usually distinguish between canine and feline prints but not between, say, mountain lion and lynx or bobcat. Or between coyote and fox.

Feline tracks in fresh snow.

So we came across this set of tracks that followed a skiers trail up the mountain. The size of the prints was large enough to eliminate bobcat but that still leaves the less common lynx and more common mountain lion. Which was it?

After reading the descriptions — carefully, and a couple of times — I’m still not sure but am leaning slightly towards to lynx. We know that there are lynx in this area because there are a number of signs asking for people to report any indications of lynx. But even if we’re wrong, that means these are mountain lion tracks. And they are following the skiers trail. Which was made by us. Exciting, actually!

Tracks in the snow.

And, then, there are these tracks higher up the mountain. I didn’t get close enough to see the details because I was more amused by the pattern of the tracks. Sort of suggests the critter was playing around in the snow.

Tracks that I can identify.

And, finally, a set of tracks I can identify!