Category: Birds

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Utah’s Rich Skiing History

The ski lift at Snow Park (now Deer Valley) in the 1940s
The ski lift at Snow Park
(now Deer Valley) in the 1940s
Visit Summit County as found on
Ilovehistory.utah.gov

Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.

Since the early pioneers, Utah’s mountains have been the basis of important industry and a source of great wealth. Some of Utah’s better-known mountain towns, such as Park City, were originally established as mining camps in the late 1800s. While some silver and gold mining still occurs in Utah, these days we find wealth in the form of another color- white. Snow, that is.

Skiing in Utah is so popular that people travel from around the world to ski here. We’re well known for our light, dry powder, and steep terrain. Each year, Utah’s fourteen ski resorts record several million skier day visits.

But, before skiing was a popular recreational activity, it was an important mode of transportation. For trappers, miners, and other early winter inhabitants of Utah’s mountains, travelling by skis was a means of survival. It was Norwegian immigrants who first brought skis to Utah, and one of the earliest records of skiing comes from the town of Alta, where, in 1870, the postman delivered mail to the town on skis. Ski touring grew in popularity, and the Wasatch Mountain Club routinely led multi-day trips in the 1910’s and ‘20’s. Professional ski jumping events, drawing thousands of spectators, began along the Wasatch foothills around 1930.

Until the Great Depression caused the value of silver to plummet, Alta was a boomtown for silver mining. The abundant snow was troublesome for the miners, and a giant avalanche destroyed half of the town in 1873. It wasn’t until the early 1930s that the mayor (and sole inhabitant of the town at the time) began exploring the idea of promoting skiing at Alta. After all, Alta holds the state record for highest average annual snowfall of 516 inches!

Alf Engen, a native Norwegian who came to Alta in 1935 as a foreman with the Civilian Conservation Corps reforestation effort, was instrumental in helping the US Forest Service select suitable areas for developing skiing. Modern skiing was established in Utah when cable tows started running at Brighton in 1937, and the Collins chairlift fired up at Alta in 1939 and offered rides for only 25 cents each, or $1.50 for the day. The next decade saw development of several other ski resorts, including Snowbasin and Beaver Mountain.

Utah’s ski resorts and backcountry continue to offer wonderful opportunities to enjoy the wintry outdoors with family and friends, to learn a new sport, and to take part in Utah’s rich skiing history. Oh, and for 5th and 6th graders around the state, Ski Utah offers Ski Passports that include three free lift tickets at each of Utah’s ski resorts.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Mark Larese-Casanova.

Credits:

Photo: Summit County on Ilovehistory.utah.gov
Text:     Mark Larese-Casanova

Additional Reading:

Arave, J. Utah Skiing History. Utah Travel Center. https://utahtravelcenter.com/activities/skiing/utah_history.htm

Bowman, Anthony W., “From Silver to Skis: A History of Alta, Utah, and Little Cottonwood Canyon, 1847-1966” (1967). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1642.
 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1642

Hullinger, J. Alf Engen. Utah History Encyclopedia. https://www.historytogo.utah.gov/people/alfengen.html

Notarianni, P.F. Mining. Utah History Encyclopedia. https://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/mining_and_railroads/mining.html

Utah Ski History FAQs. Alf Engen Ski Museum. https://www.engenmuseum.org/utah-ski-history-faqs

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Tracking Wildlife in Winter

Jumping Mouse Tracks
Photo Courtesy & Copyright 2011
Mark Larese-Casanova

Moose Tracks in Snow
Photo Courtesy & Copyright 2011
Mark Larese-Casanova

Cottontail Rabbit Browse & Scat
Photo Courtesy & Copyright 2011
Mark Larese-Casanova

Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.

The cold depth of winter is a time when many animals are hiding- either hibernating until the thaw of spring, or finding shelter and warmth in burrows, under logs, or in the tangled branches of evergreen trees.

However, snow falls in much of Utah, and even a dusting can reveal the stories of wildlife in winter. It’s a bit like solving a mystery. By reading the clues of animal tracks, we can know not only the type of animal that made them, but also where they were going and what they were doing.

The most obvious clue is the size of a track. Smaller animals make smaller tracks, and also sets of tracks that are generally closer together.

The shape of an animal track is also very revealing. Members of the canine family, including domestic dogs, coyotes, and fox, show four toes in front, each with a visible claw. Felines, including bobcats and mountain lions, also show four toes, but no claws. Tracks from members of the weasel family, such as mink, ermine, and skunks, show five toes, each with a claw. Raccoon, squirrel, and mouse tracks almost look like they were made by tiny human hands. The long tails of some animals, including deer mice, jumping mice, and weasels, often leave a characteristic line through the center of a set of tracks.

Combining the size and shape of tracks reveals further details about wildlife. The three inch long cloven hoof print of a mule deer is easily recognizable. An elk track looks almost identical, but is about four inches long. A similar moose track is even larger at six inches long.

Figuring out which animal made a track is only half of the story. If we follow tracks, we’ll surely find clues about an animal’s daily life. Wildlife often gather around sources of water that aren’t frozen, which are critical to winter survival. Perhaps rabbit tracks lead under a spruce tree where browsed branches and droppings indicate a frequent feeding spot. Maybe mouse tracks lead from tree to rock to log as it avoids owls and hawks.

While we are much more likely to see wildlife during the warmer months, winter gives us a chance to unravel the story of daily survival during the most difficult time of the year in Utah.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Mark Larese-Casanova.

Credits:
Images: Courtesy and Copyright Mark Larese-Casanova
Text:     Mark Larese-Casanova

Additional Reading:

Canadian Wildlife Federation: Tracking Down Winter Wildlife. https://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/action/how-to/outside/tracking-down-winter-wildlife.html

Murie, O. J. (1982). Animal Tracks. Peterson Field Guides. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin. https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Guide-Animal-Tracks/dp/061851743X

Vermont Nature and Outdoors: Tracking Winter Wildlife. https://www.ruralvermont.com/vermontweathervane/issues/winter/97012/vins97012_tracking.shtml

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Small birds in cold temperatures

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Black-Capped Chickadee, Copyright Stephen Peterson, Photographer
Black-Capped Chickadee
Copyright Stephen Peterson, Photographer

Hi, I’m Holly Strand from Utah State University’s Quinney College of Natural Resources.

There is a biological principle that states that species or populations that live near the poles tend to be bigger than those closer to the equator. Called Bergmann’s rule, this principle seems to work pretty well for some animal groups. Consider the size of polar bears, walruses, or penguins. An explanation behind Bergman’s rule is that large animals have a lower surface-to-volume ratio. Therefore they lose less body heart per unit of body mass. Furthermore, the larger you are, the more fat reserves you can carry around with you. Fat reserves represent potential energy, which is pretty useful to have in severe environments.

Large size could come in handy when dealing with Utah’s cold winter. But what about our little creatures? Like the small birds that forego a winter vacation in Arizona or Central America? Without the advantage of large size, how do they keep from icing over when the temperature drops?

Inactivity conserves energy so these little birds go to bed early and get up late in winter. That’s why your feeder looks so deserted on cold mornings. For a roosting spot, birds choose locations that offer protection from both the elements and from predators. The thick branches near the trunk of a conifer work nicely. And some species will seek out tree cavities or nest boxes. While roosting, birds may huddle together to create additional warmth.

Shivering helps a bird to increase its metabolic rate and generate heat when roosting. The drawback is that shivering requires a lot of calories.
An alternative approach that requires less energy is to simply reduce the core temperature of your body. The diminutive black-capped chickadee is well-known for surviving the cold using this adaptive form of self-induced hypothermia.

Good insulation is critical for survival. Some birds–like juncos and finches– put on extra fat. But all birds have feathers which are great for insulation. You’ve probably seen a bird fluff itself out, looking like a chubby feather ball. The bird does this to trap air next to its body to creating a nice warm down coat.

Bird parts not covered with feathers are more vulnerable to cold. So birds will bury their bills into their plumage and will tuck in their feet underneath.

During the shortened, active daytime hours little birds need to consume as many calories as possible. We can help them most by providing high energy food items such as oil sunflower and suet. For more information on what you can do to help Utah birds survive the winter chill, go to www.wildaboututah.org.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:
Image: Courtesy Bridgerland Audubon Society, Copyright Stephen Peterson, Photographer
Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading

Cooper, Sheldon J. and James A. Gessaman. 2005. Nocturnal Hypothermia in Seasonally Acclimatized Mountain Chickadees and Juniper Titmice. The Condor 107:151–15 https://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/cooper/articles/Condor%20107%20151-155.pdf

Elkins, Norman. 1983. Weather and Bird Behavior. Calton, England: T& AD Poyser. https://www.amazon.com/Weather-Bird-Behaviour-Norman-Elkins/dp/0856610356

Kress, Steve. 2010. Audubon Guide to Winter Bird-Feeding. Audubon Magazine Published: November-December 2010
https://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/living/audubon-guide-winter-bird-feeding

Marsh, R. L., and W. R. Dawson. 1989. Avian adjustments to cold. In: Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology, vol. 4, edited by L. C. H. Wang. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer‐Verlag, p. 205–253. Citation

Smith, Susan. 1991. The Black-Capped Chickadee: Behavioral Ecology and Natural History. Comstock Publishing
https://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Capped-Chickadee-Behavioral-Comstock/dp/0801497930

Yuhas, Daisy. 2013. How Birds Cope With Cold in Winter. Audubon Magazine Published: 12/12/2013 https://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/birds/how-birds-cope-cold-winter

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Nature’s Recyclers

Courtesy and copyright Andrea Liberatore, Stokes Nature Center, https://logannature.org/
Fungi Decomposing Fall
Leaves Outside the
Stokes Nature Center
Courtesy & © 2011 Andrea Liberatore
Stokes Nature Center 

Courtesy and copyright Andrea Liberatore, Stokes Nature Center, https://logannature.org/Redworms Eisenia fetida
from Stokes Nature Center’s
vermicomposting system
Courtesy & © 2011 Andrea Liberatore
Stokes Nature Center

On November 15th, our nation celebrates America Recycles Day. While the day itself tends to focus on human recycling activity, I thought we should also give a nod to nature’s recyclers. Worms, maggots, fungi, beetles, and bacteria – it sounds like a list of leftover Halloween horrors. But in reality, we should be more afraid of what our world would look like without these creepy-crawlies, for these are nature’s recyclers. Scientists call these organisms saprophytes, and as important as their role in life is, they are more likely to evoke a shudder than any feeling of gratitude.

What decomposers actually do is break dead things down into smaller and smaller pieces, until all that is left are the basic molecular components that make up all living things such as nitrogen, phosphorous, carbon, and potassium. Once broken down, this material is then free to be taken up again by plants and animals that use them to live and grow. This cycle of nutrients is vital to life on Earth, and our saprophytic friends make it all possible.

While decomposition would occur even without the help of the decomposers, it would take much, much longer. In some landfills, newspapers have been unearthed that are more than 20 years old, and still quite readable. This is because landfills often create anaerobic environments, where oxygen-loving insects, fungi, and bacteria cannot live and therefore cannot aid decomposition. If without decomposers, a newspaper can last 20 years, what would happen to much larger and hardier items such as tree trunks and roadkill? I shudder to think about it.

Did you know that the U.S. throws more than 33 million tons of food waste into landfills each year? This organic material goes to waste there – taking up valuable space and taking longer than normal break down. So this year, celebrate America Recycles Day by employing some of nature’s recyclers in your yard. Consider starting a compost pile where your fall leaves and food scraps can get broken down into nutrient-rich all-natural fertilizer for next year’s garden.

For composting tips and more information about nature’s recyclers, visit Wild About Utah online at www.wildaboututah.org. Thank you to the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation for the research and development of this Wild About Utah topic. For the Stokes Nature Center and Wild About Utah, this is Andrea Liberatore.

For the Stokes Nature Center and Wild About Utah, this is Andrea Liberatore.

Credits:

Photos: Courtesy & © 2011 Andrea Liberatore, https://logannature.org/
Text:    Andrea Liberatore, Stokes Nature Center, logannature.org

Composting Tips & Information:

Farrell-Poe, K. and Koenig, R. (2010) Backyard Composting in Utah. Utah State University Cooperative Extension. https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG-Compost-01.pdf

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Composting. https://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htm

Additional Reading:

Fogel, R. (2002) Waste Not, Want Not: Fungi as Decomposers. Utah State University Herbarium. https://utahpests.usu.edu/ipm/ornamental-pest-guide/diseases/wood-decay-fungi

Hoff, M. (2009) Young Naturalists: Nature’s Recyclers. Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Newsletter. July-August 2009. https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/volunteer/young_naturalists/natures_recyclers/natures_recyclers.pdf

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011) Basic Information About Food Waste. https://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/organics/food/fd-basic.htm