Skiology blog takeover! Vivien & Jason Day, guides from www.daysawayadventures.com
Vivien – “Sitting on the chairlift heading up to the top of your next run down – peaceful, calm, time to chat with friends and sometimes freezing! But next time you are on an early morning lift passing over fresh snow unmarked by skiers or boarders – have a look down, you might be surprised at what you can see. Although with the noise from the ski areas, it’s unlikely that you will see animals during the day, there are many that come out when the lifts are shut, hunting for good food to see them through winter. Here is a snapshot of the tracks in the snow that you might see:
Fox
Obvious straight-lined prints, they are usually on a mission to get to a non-snowy patch as they can get cold paws on the snow. They usually head straight for a non-snowy area such as under a tree. Whilst their paws can look very similar to a dog, they are more narrow and the pads are arranged in a different pattern. Also generally with dog prints, you will see human footprints next to them.
Mouse
Tiny delicate footprints that barely make an impression on the snow. They look like tiny dots making lots of patterns on the snow as they hunt for food. You will often see the tail mark as a line in the snow.
Deer & Chamois
Cloven hoofed, the deer are bigger than the chamois and will be harder to differentiate from on the lift. But you will generally see them heading in a line as they search for food. Then lots of prints near to bushes and berries as they graze. Depending on the depth of the snow you will often see a line where they have dragged their feet through the snow as they walk.
Wild Boar
Another cloven hoof ungulate but these are very distinctive from others. The marks are more rounded than, for example, a deer. On each footprint, you will see the 2 hooves pointing forward. Then 2 smaller marks from the rear dewclaws on each foot.
Squirrel
These are often in sets of two as they bound over the snow, usually in the direction of the next tree. The two larger footprints are the rear paws and the smaller ones are the front paws. However, if they are bounding over the snow, the rear paw marks will often cover the front paw marks. You can usually clearly see the claw marks in the snow.
Rabbit
Two larger rear paws that make quite a big oblong print and smaller front paws. These are very distinctive and prevalent everywhere!
Birds
Sometimes you will see a finger-like mark on the snow. This is the mark from the wingtips of a bird as it brushes against the snow, usually, a chough or crow as it flies low to collect its dinner from the ground, or sometimes as it takes off from a ridge. Footprints are very distinctive too. You can get a classic tree-like branch mark – Marks like a 3-pronged ‘Y’ shape indicate a tree-dwelling bird. The bottom part of the ‘Y’ is the long tow that will curl around the branch of a tree. A 3 pronged ‘V’ shape indicates a ground-dwelling bird.
Humans
Humans – snowboard, skis, footprints, snow chains and of course, snow angels- all signs of the human having fun in the snow!
Don’t forget, as you are transported high through or above the trees, look out for berries that are so important for the birds and animals to survive on. The large spruce cones seeds are perfect for birds, mice and squirrels. You can often see the evidence on the snow with the nibbled cones or seeds distributed over the snow.
I hope this gives you an insight as to what else you are sharing the mountain with. If you are interested in learning more about the wildlife that is in the area, please book on to one of our snowshoe walks. We cover the French side of the Portes du Soleil area and we take you to quieter places away from the ski-lifts. You can book onto one of our open walks for €40 per adult and €25 per child. Or you can book a half-day or evening torchlit snowshoe for a private group of 8 people for €250. We also cater for larger groups, please just ask! This price includes transport, snowshoe equipment and a hot drink and homemade cake! For more information, please take a look at our website:”
I hope you have a wonderful winter!
Vivien & Jason Day
DaysAway Adventures
