My second day of Wilderness Wildlife Week was supposed to be somewhere else. By day 2, we all came to the realization we'd have to reschedule hikes for the rest of the week due to closed roads. Today, we were able to reach Cades Cove and thus a nice 12 mile loop up and above the cove. Marty Silver led this hike up Crooked Arm Trail, along Rich Mountain Trail to Cerulean Gap, back on Indian Grave Trail and Rich Mountain Loop Trail. It was cold and snow was about 4 inches in most spots. There was a breeze up on the ridges which made it feel even colder. We kept up a good pace with only one hiker really having a tough time. For lunch I sat in the middle of a closed snowy road quickly downing a PB&J sandwich and drinking some hot tea. Due to the low temperatures we didn't want to dally long anywhere.
Marty is a talented and knowledgeable leader. He pointed out mouse prints in the snow and told us the two mice found there were deer mice (tree dwellers) and white footed mice (in the ground). He also pointed out the many coyote tracks we saw in almost every trail almost the entire way as well as the occasional bobcat tracks. In the lower elevations we saw many deer and turkey prints too.
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