Today was perfect for wandering off trail. A single set of coyote tracks seemed to meander aimlessly along a southeast facing ledge.
It was a blessing to have just the right texture and depth of snow to follow the coyote tracks for the entire hike.
The animal’s aimless meandering made sense when I spotted the hoof and lower leg poking up through the snow.
I followed the tracks through skeletal heath family bushes - huckleberry, blueberry or both - the branches would have been at this canid’s eye level.
The tracks along a downed log made me think of the precision and lightness of a gymnast on a balance beam.
I became so familiar with that set of tracks that I actually did not get confused when the partially covered tracks crossed deer tracks.
I eventually arrived at a bed. The snow was dug down to the leaf layer and I could see the outline of the head and back, with the legs curled under. It was one of those rare moments when I could see the animal.
Reverence is the only word I can think of to describe that sense of being connected to everything in nature. When it happens, I am profoundly grateful.
The feeling of well-being that comes from connecting to the infinite let’s me know that even small doses of nature are powerful and meaningful.