New Years Eve in the Park
Time for remembering times pastby Dan Hartman
Jan. 1, 2024
Cindy and I went out for a New Years Eve excursion into the park last night.I remembered, back in 2010, we had a mild beginning to winter, just like this year. That year I was hearing boreal owls calling at night, starting New Years Eve. Thought we would give it a try this year.
We headed out 8PM,driving to Pebble Creek. On our way out, a flying squirrel watched us from a tree below our cabin.
We heard nothing at Pebble Creek, drove on to Post #1.5 to find a fox mousing in our headlights, but the forest was silent.
On to Post #2. All Quiet. The dark night, with a sky full of stars, reminded me of a night many years ago. I stopped on this same spot and heard to my amazement what sounded like a man calling from across the Soda Butte.
But it wasn't just any ordinary man, this one sounded like a giant, with a very deep voice. There was no car parked within miles so it really couldn't be a man in trouble, but what? A few more calls and all was silent, except something moving in the water, far below.
I was back the next day and snowshoed down to the waters edge, there were tracks of many coyotes, and tracks of a larger beast that came out of the water, walked along the opposite bank and re entered the water again. The tracks appeared to be a foot and a half long and half as wide. Interesting...
Back to the present.
Cindy and I continued on, but heard nothing at the next six stops.
Back at the cabin, the flying squirrel had found a companion.
