The Dreadful Snowshoeing Trip

Pictured: Hannah Zaini, Me, Katie Rupp
(I forgot who took the photo, sorry!)

Just kidding, this trip wasn't dreadful at all. It was actually really fun and involved great people surrounding me.
Even though the morning started out sitting in the car and driving back and fourth to two different destinations, just to go back to our original destination in the pouring rain was a lot to handle- the trip ended up becoming interesting and a story to tell later on.
We went February 2nd, left the campus at 9, but we didn't get to actually snowshoe until 1:30 on Gold Creek in Snoqualmie pass.

Figure 1

 Figure 1 shows the first animal prints that the group encountered. At first, Hannah Zaini and I assumed that the tracks were made by a rabbit, since they were spread apart and rabbits use their hind legs to hop. The animal tracks turned out to be a squirrel, I forgot what kind. Tom told us that rabbits usually have a longer track made since they are kind of throwing the snow away from them as they hop. It would make sense that these prints were made by a squirrel since their paws are so tiny and circle.

Figure 2

We walked a little further by the stream and stubbled upon this tree that was chewed up by...beavers! Figure 2 shows the tree that they were working on. We knew right away that this was a beaver because of the teeth marks that we found on the the little wood chips on the snow. The second detail was that there was a dam just above it as well, knowing that they probably wouldn't have migrated far to chop the wood and would've done it close by. We also assumed that the wood was just bitten and chopped recently, since the wood was laying above the snow. This shows that animals really do adapt to their environments and do their best to make a living out of where they live and what's around it. Although there was another dam a further walk away, I doubt that it was those beavers that used this tree for the wood. Beavers building dams not only do it for living and protection for themselves, it also affects the environment and is considered a wetland. These dams help prevent major floods and create the flow of fresh water.

Animal tracking is very beneficial to understand how animals survive in different environments and how they acclimate to the weather- especially in Washington's bi-polar craziness. Tracking is also used to see what different kinds of organisms and animals live in that particular area- which also helps them understand what they eating and if there is anything that is harming those animals. I-90 respects its wildlife very well and efficiently as well. This goes for the wildlife bridge that they are building over the freeway- where the animals can safely cross the freeway in an alternate route instead of the dangerous way.
The I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition is the heart and soul of building the wildlife crossing bridge. While driving to Thorp to look if we can show shoe there, we saw the first one that was built for the animals. It's very important to not only make the roads safer on the pass which is vital, but it is also important for the animals as well. If the animals cannot cross the interstate, they won't be able to find new food, mate, migrate, or try to get away from predators. The I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition will hopefully be done soon in 2019. As a frequent driver on I-90 to go to Spokane, this will definitely make a difference. Many people go really fast on the pass and if an animal ever crossed, I don't think they'll be able to stop fast enough. The rebuild will not only benefit the people, but wildlife too.

I've never been snow-shoeing before, but this was a really great first experience and it was one where I definitely will go back again. I never knew wildlife tracking would be so important to the society, but when you think about it, it make sense. Before there was technology, there were native people that were able to hunt by developing the skills to track animals and hunt. Wildlife tracking has been beneficial for providing food and supplies to humans. Later on, it has also been beneficial to understand what animals are native to the area and understanding what is needed to provide a good environment for them where the wildlife can thrive and nourish. With tracking prints, we understand how animals work, what they eat, and how they migrate.