Phenological changes at Rock Point
The change from fall to winter is dramatic, especially in the New England area, and Rock Point is not immune to this change. Many trees and bushes that were once covered in colorful leaves are now bare, there is less animal activity, and snow covers the ground.
Above is a photo of North Beach, which you have to walk across in order to get to Rock Point, covered in snow. A place that during the summer is a popular spot for sunbathing and swimming becomes almost unrecognizable during the winter months simply due to the snow. The snow makes it easy to forgot there’s sand on North Beach at all.
I noticed that due to the snow, Rock Point and North Beach look very similar during the winter. The biggest difference between the two is no longer North Beach beach-y vibes because those were stripped away with the falling snow, but now the lack of vegetation on North Beach is the most distinct difference. Below is a picture of the view from Rock Point. Because of the snow and Lake Champlain, you can see how similar North Beach and Rock Point look during the winter.
When strolling around Rock Point during the fall months, one would commonly see different types of birds flying by to make their way south for the winter. Well, now all of the birds have gone south, and one sees no birds in the sky above Lake Champlain. While animal tracks in the snow were visible, there was noticeably less animal activity. During the fall, you could hear geese honking or chipmunks rustling in the leaves, but because the birds are gone and the snow muffles the sound of scurrying rodents, Rock Point becomes almost silent; it is extremely serene.
Animal Tracking in the Snow
While the auditory signs of animal activity are now lacking, there are other ways to tell there are still animals active during the winter at Rock Point. A simple way to do this is to take notice of the tracking in the snow.
Above you can see two examples of animal tracks on the way to Rock Point. The first example (seen in Figure 3) was spotted at the camp site on the way to Rock Point. These trackings appear to be from a squirrel, because the tracks are wide, in a straight line, and lead up to a tree where they disappear, making it obvious that the animal climbed up the tree. The second example (seen in Figure 4) was spotted at Rock Point. These tracks are long and narrow, making me think of a rabbit’s foot. Unlike the previous tracks, these stay on the ground like a rabbit would.