You don’t get a more spectacular day than this; cold, clear and blue sky perfection. I Love the cold weather! I have the park to myself and can stand silently on paths waiting for nature to reveal herself. There are a few die-hard hikers like myself and I enjoy seeing them on these cold days. It started with the perfect Cardinal pictures on the Promenade, continued with delightful paw prints on a bench at the mountain top and finished with an impromptu decision to hike out to the Gulpha Gorge.
There is a Panther in the Park and someone said he strolled out on to Grand Avenue then disappeared back into the park. I noticed on a trail map there is an exit from the park onto Grand from the Dead Chief Trail near the Gulpha Gorge. I figure the Panther followed the Trail out them back into the Park. So yes I want to get a photo of the panther. Scared to find it, NO! Cautious about any encounters, Absolutely.
Along the Dead Chief Trail I was able to photograph a Robin, a yet to identified gray bird and a wonderful stump sporting a series Mohawk. The still lingering snow made the hike and scenery a rare event in the Park.