A Fearless Follower

Hiking the Signal Ridge Trail to Mount Carrigain, the fog turned to a light drizzle of rain. Past three thousand feet, it became a mix of snow, and then frozen rain. Upon reaching the summit, I was not surprised to be denied a view from the tower there. I was in a snow globe, and the flakes swirled and danced on the surfaces around me.

I downed a quick lunch. The cold sandwich would not perish in this environment. Coming down from the tower, I was greeted by a guest who had come to finish off any crumbs I had left behind in the mess kit.

Canadian Jays or “Grey Jays” are native to the area, and can be found at elevation, particularly at lunch time, or whenever a trail bar might make an appearance from your pack.

They are a fearless bird, and will swoop in and eat from your hand if you place a morsel in your palm.The bird will whisk it away to a secret store, to be retrieved at a later time during the winter months. They’ll eat just about anything you carry as food, or carry it away with them for later. I sometimes carry seed for them. I would rather not give them sugary human trail bars, which aren’t good for them – or us!