Generally a Nice Day & Chaos on Ice!

This will be a pleasant and slow melting day, but that means things will get mushy underfoot as the day progresses and the melt on ice will make some spots slick for walking. A waterproof boot & microspike combination is your best bet, unless you are breaking new trail, in which case snowshoes are still the item of choice.

This morning was "Chaos on Ice."
To the north of the main island on Cook's Pond we had coywolves running around, howling, and driving all the neighborhood dogs out of their minds, barking wildly. We had figured, incorrectly, that they had driven off the deer herd.
It turns out that on the south of the main island on Cook's Pond there were 26 deer bedded down. Yes. 26. Apparently there is strength in numbers?
A little later in the morning the coywolves were gone and a neighborhood dog was out on the north of Cook's Pond sniffing around and trying to make out what on earth was going on earlier.


Trailhead Forecast at Cascading Waters (elev. 630'):

Temperature is 23.2 degrees and steady;
Humidity is 61% and steady;
Pressure is 29.88" of Hg and steady;
The air is still, with no movement;
The skies are broken overcast with occasional sun;
The Cascades Brook is mostly covered with open patches;
The Cascades are buried in snow and ice;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE!

National Weather Service Forecast:

Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.
West wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.