Winter’s Wild Side

Posted On January 31, 2026

What the Hell Just Happened?!?

A January 2026 Pictorial Retrospective

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It all began innocently enough as we trekked towards the new year. All had been quiet on the western front as December ushered in winter.

We got our first real snow near the end of the month. It was for most a welcome sight after a nearly green Christmas. I put my Ariens “King of Snow” snowblower into action cutting our Monroe Wildlife Area a 700 yard long looped winter walking trail.

It was immediately a big hit with everyone.

Especially our PAW patrol.

As December descended to January’s first gentle blankets of snow,

wildlife visitors abounded.

Turkey flocks found my trail.

Our Monroe Wildlife Area even hosted it’s own late night stag party.

As January’s first days unfolded, I just kept waking at 5am each morning, keeping our walks, driveway and Monroe Wildlife Area walking trail free of night’s fresh fallen snow.

At that point I was oblivious to the winter storm ambush that January had planned for us.

Though the look these frozen cranberry cocktail guzzling whitetails cast my way should have warned me.

Then something happened, like a thunderbolt from on high.

In fact I think I may have actually captured January in the act of zeroing in it’s lake effect snow laser beam on camera.

As January’s midwinter onslaught prepared to descend,

the Monroe Wildlife Area’s sheriff made one last rounds.

I performed a carefully choreographed ice capade snow dance.

Then the sky fell.

I continued to awaken each morning at 5am, snowblowing my way through mid-month.

There were PAW Patrols nearly every day.

Our whitetail herd’s anti-Sith Jedi Knight paid us a visit.

I added Monroe Wildlife Area walking trail POOP PATROL leader too my daily duties.

In the meantime, everybody else had wild parties, gobbling frosty fermented crabapple margueritas & getting quite drunk.

In the meantime, me & my Ariens “King of Snow” beast kept on doing what we do best.

Though there were moments where I’d have just as soon been most anywhere else.

January’s snow started getting deep.

By the time January’s end days were in sight,

everyone was struggling.

I had to bull my way through thigh deep snow for some late January trail cam maintenance.

I followed a path deer had blazed most of the way,

forsaking my snowshoes due to my need to access cam mounts in tight spaces.

I instead plowed slowly through thigh deep snow.

My shovel did double duty as both cam savior & walking stick.

Thank God for the Monroe Widlife Area’s winter walking trail.

“Hey look! Somebody plowed out this great winter walking trail!”

“Cool! Let’s take it! “

And PAW Patrols!

They’ve helped keep me sane.

(Okay. The sanity part might be debatable.)

Whatever my saneness state, January 2026 has been an absolute BEAST of a month, at least in our neck of the woods, dropping nearly 3 feet of snow.

At some point along the way,

our yard’s 24 inch whitetail deer topped snow gauge got buried.

Not to mention the cold.

Our outdoor air temps got down as low as -28F on the termometer.

Not even factoring in winchill.

My Ariens “King of Snow” snowblower’s head lamp bulp blew out.

I started wheeling my “King of Snow” into my heated mudroom to melt the ice off its gears, bearings & wheels each night. ( A trick I learned from my dad. I remember him wheeling his green John Deere up the front porch & into our dining room to thaw out overnight when I was a kid growing up in our family’s big stone Stevenson Lane house in Saranac Lake.)

But thanks to S& N Partners’ awesome mobile repair service vehicle, I’m back in business!

The Monroe PAW Patrol & Wildlife Area are both ready and waiting for whatever February has planned.

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Until Our Trails Cross Again:

ADKO