I pulled into the lot just before 7 AM today, and once again had the debate of whether to strap on microspikes or not, given that half of the trails are clear. I went with spikes ’cause half the trails remain a solid sheet of ice and I’m a “glass half empty or half filled with shit” sort of dork.

Once the spikes were on, I set about getting my pack and camera ready. As I was buckling the strap for my camera’s harness, I was staring out at the frozen cove and its boat launch in need of both a boat and open water. Then out of nowhere, a coyote broke out of the brush and ran across the frozen water of the cove and out of sight. “WHOOAAAA!!!!” Was all I could let out as if I just took a long bong rip of Bubba Kush in the back of Jeff Spicoli’s van.

I then quickly set off down the trail, hoping that if it was still out on the ice, I might get a glimpse, but it was not to be. All I could see were some geese out on the open water.

As I proceeded on, I of course had the debate in my head about whether what I actually saw was a coyote. Fox? No, too big. Dog? Why would there be a dog out alone in the freezing morning running on river ice? Wolf? Not in the Lower Peninsula. OK, well then it was a coyote, and seeing it running across the ice with its tail flowing behind is not something I will forget anytime soon.

There are many times over the course of a winter and early spring that I question why a sane-ish person such as myself would go out in extreme cold, risk falling on ice, or just be plain ol’ miserable while hiking on icy trails when they could easily go to a warm gym surrounded by vapid, sweaty humans. Then a wildlife encounter like this happens, and I realize the complete joy it gives me down to my core. Yeah, I’ll be in the woods with the critters.

Wildlife encounters don’t always end with a photo, but I managed a few along the way today. Just no coyote.

Later.