Wow! I think the snowfall that we expect for an entire winter has fallen within the past week and a half; 10+ inches last week and another 8 inches this week.

I was first on the Beaver Hills Biodiversity trail after the big snow last week. Breaking trail in 10 inches of fluffy snow took some time because of the depth of the snow but also because I stopped often to take in the beauty of the woods. What usually takes me 45 minutes, took double that time.

The tree branches were laden with snowflakes. Tree stumps were wearing 'snow caps'. It was a winter wonderland like no other. 

On my travels around the loop, I came across a moose foraging in the underbrush. It looked up as I trudged by. Deer and coyote tracks crisscrossed the trail. When I got to three quarters of the way around, I saw two more moose; both at the edge of a pond in the willows.

Woodpeckers visiting the rotten snags, tapped out a song that echoed through the trees. Chickadees sang their 'cheeseburger' songs as they flitted from branch to branch in search of seeds.

The woods were so beautiful after the snow that I didn't want to go home so I traveled to the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area to see if the ski trails had been set. 

The trail conditions were amazing. There was lots of deep snow for snowshoeing and set tracks for the skiers. 

The sun is out this morning and the sky is blue. There is a lot of new snow from the past couple of days. I think I'll treat myself to an outing this afternoon in the 'freshies'!