Ice and birds
Sunday morning brought a big, bright ball into the sky, retina sizzling. Albeit traumatic, it was a welcomed change from the multiple feet of snow that arrived in the form of thick, fat rain drops splashing like the tears of my current mood into the lakes forming on the, now, sheets of ice in the yard this past week.
The quarter-inch of ice on the road held strong and solid as the just above freezing rain smoothed out any of its imperfections, just as a good Zamboni does. I would later apologize to Jim, the North Fork District Ranger for the Park, for not stopping to say hello on my way down just north of the Camas Road junction. The reason being was that I could not stop. I didn’t physically try to pump the brakes and stop. No. Because there is a game you have to play with the road this time of year; keep your forward momentum at a greater force than that of the gravitational pull perpendicular to the roadway, coming off of the crown of the road towards the bank or the river way down below, depending on which side of the hump you are on.
It sounds like an estimated 14 cars didn’t get the memo this week that to road changes drastically once you journey on up past the Camas Road junction, where the wind and northeast-facing slope preserves the arctic ice through even the most certain thaw. Although that many cars went off of the road, all travelers are accounted for as far as I know. It’s not the first or last time that will happen, for sure.
We never drive over 20 mph when the road is like that. Our studs on the rear wheel drive are on their third season and our 4-wheel drive 1983 AMC Eagle has the most economic highway way tires as we’re not sure how long she’ll be with us. The majority of the rigs on the road these days, SUVs and mid-to full-size trucks, can drive faster, I’m sure. Especially if they’ve been treated to tires that make the ride to town a little less eventful and life in the North Fork one puzzle piece less challenging. But, with speed comes increased risk and less control. Yes, Mom.
Rather than sounding like a lecture, I’m hoping to convey only my observations. Centrifugal force on the ice rink separating us from supplies is alive and well, specifically from Camas north. Chains are almost always a good idea if you’ve even once considered putting them on before your trek. The time it takes to put on and remove them will most likely be less than waiting for the next truck to pass by that can offer a tug and undoubtedly less time if the situation requires more than that. Always have a shovel, cat litter, ice cleats, a headlamp (21st century, I know, but hands-free), extra snacks and water, a sleeping bag and a shot of whiskey.
With all of this in mind, I was considering whether to commit to an annual event that I look forward to every year: The Christmas Bird Count. It’s happening this Sunday, Dec. 15, beginning in the morning at Park Headquarters in West Glacier. Last year 41 different species and 2,497 individuals were counted. Bohemian waxwing was the most abundant species counted and a new species, the cedar waxwing, was added to the 2018 count. There are 10 different designated routes that volunteers follow in a 7-½ mile radius, some shorter, some longer.
If you are interested in volunteering to count some birds for the National Aududon Society’s CBC, contact Lisa Bate at: lisa_bate@nps.gov or (406) 888-7833. As for me, well, I’m going to wait and see what the conditions look like before venturing down the road. And if I do, I hope to see you there with a car full of emergency supplies. Did I omit some of your favorite North Fork travel advice? I’d love to know … what do you think?
Flannery Coats writes North Fork Views for the Hungry Horse News.