Tracking the Wild Arctic Cat

A light freezing rain was falling this afternoon, as I set off in hopes of catching a glimpse of Felix Polaris, more commonly known as the Wisconsin Snowmobile. The temperature was a balmy 20º, and several inches of fresh snow made for prime snowmobile stalking.

On the corner, a tree bears strange bean-like pods. For once I remember to take their picture:

Can anyone identify these?

This is what I see when I turn off the road and onto an old track which leads to the trails:

A romantic-looking building stands empty on the right...

...in a field dotted with these unidentified plants.

Up a slight grade to the favourite tree...

...through snow deep enough to bury my feet with each step.

Then a left turn and I'm on the snowmobile trail proper, which leads across a broad field. Along the way I am distracted by some frozen Queen Anne's Lace:

and a tiny perfect birds-nest, empty of eggs but full of snow.

Across the field is a small thicket, where the ground is covered with...

...snowmobile tracks! Yes, the beasts have been this way, and recently by the looks of it.

As I reach the far side of the thicket, I hear the distant snarl of snowmobiles at play. Perhaps I shall see them in the next field, which contains the prairie restoration project.

No snowmobiles, but plenty of fascinating dried flowers are there. These little beauties are tiny - each blossom less than 1/4" wide:

While this spiny fellow is much larger - nearly 2" tall. Teasel, perhaps?

A sign for the snowmobiles. I can hear them all around me at the edges of the field, but can't see any.

But I do see....

Oak twigs fooled by the recent warm spell into putting forth buds:

The warm peach hearts of empty milkweed pods, some single...

...some clustered like exotic birds.

A fascinating dried blossom draped over a tree branch several feet above the ground:

And an icy thistle drooping under a spreading oak.

I'm back at the road without having seen a single snowmobile. The freezing rain has left a film of ice, so I stop to put on my YakTrax. Just as my hands are fully occupied with the strappy rubber-and-coil contraption, a snowmobile zips across the horizon to my left and quickly disappears behind some trees. (The one that got away.)

Next week, weather permitting, I shall again set off in search of the elusive Wisconsin snowmobile. Perhaps I'll even get a picture.

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