Snowy hikes inevitably cause me to be more delicate in my attention—more intentional. I pay more attention to where I place each foot on slick trails, which in turn awakens me to what other tracks are nearby and who else uses these pathways. Meanwhile, the snow quiets both the exterior landscape and the landscape of my mind. Hiking around Montana in the wintertime, my senses are heightened as my eyes hungrily seek colors and textures that stand out from otherwise gray and white monotones. I love the contrast in color of evergreen conifer trees against a snowy backdrop, or the contrast in texture of soft snow resting against the prickle of Doug-fir needles. (Listen for more)

This Field Note was written by Elizabeth Domenech. Would you be interested in writing one? Contact Allison De Jong, Field Notes editor, at adejong [at] montananaturalist [dot] org or 406.327.0405. Please visit the Field Notes website at the Montana Natural History Center for more information.