Visiting Lake James in February

Winter in the park is a time of rest and recouperation. Reptiles and amphibians have greatly slowed their activity to save precious energy in the cold weather. Birds are resting their songs for warmer times when eligible bachelors and bachelorettes are actively searching for mates.

Most leaf-bearing trees have long since shed their leaves, making the view through the landscape as clear as ever.

However, you may see the occasional tree full of browned, withered leaves still attached. Known as “marcescence,” some trees, such as American beeches and oak species, will retain their leaves through all of fall and winter until they are removed by wind or animal activity. The advantages of marcescent leaves are not fully known, but some thoughts include deterring browsing animals from nibbling on twigs or young buds and storing nutrients to be released into the soil later once the leaves finally detach.

While the rush of summer visitors has slowed to a trickle, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any crowds.

White-tailed deer rule the park this time of year. As “crepuscular” creatures – meaning most active at dawn and dusk – herds of deer are best spotted about an hour after opening and 1-2 hours before closing during the winter. Although, with light human traffic, it is not uncommon to see a group of mothers and fawns loitering on the roadside between the Obeth and Rock Hill cemeteries. They might even enjoy a day at the beach.

When you spot one of these groups roving around the park, you may get the feeling of stumbling into a deer day-care. Fawns will typically stay with their mothers for at least a year. At that point, yearling males will typically separate from the group to become strapping young bachelors while yearling females will live with their mother for another year. Even after a female deer departs from her mother, she may likely establish her home range nearby.

Whether you’re enjoying winter in the park in a herd or on your own, the still waters and sweeping views leave plenty to enjoy without all the hustle and bustle. So bundle up, drive slowly (for the deer), and take in the tranquility of the season before we ramp up into spring.

Until next time, see you out on the trail.