Jan 3 - Little Dell Reservior

Finally, it's a sunny day and in the valley the temperatures are around 47 degrees - heat wave! It's also the best day of the entire week and the only day this week that I went to work. But no worries, I only worked to mid-day so have a bit of time to enjoy the "warmth" and sunshine before the next storm rolls in this week-end.

And for my 1st hike of the new year, doing something simple with lots of sunshine and fresh air: Little Dell.

I arrive just after 1:30pm. It's sunny and 42 degrees.

After 6+ inches of snow on New Year's Day, it's white and still glistening. However, the snow has melted from the trees.

Thankfully, enough snow shoers have created a path down the hill to the trail.

Seeing lots of rabbit tracks

and something that's a mouse/vole or other small critter with a long tail.

I make a detour to the reservoir for a quick look

before continuing down the trail.

As also scanning the hillsides but no luck with large animals today.

I do spot a single Chickadee!!

I return down the snow covered road seeing one Northern Shrike sitting over an old nest.

Good day!