3.01.11 The last few days of snow, followed by sleet and rain have made off-road travel challenging for most mammals - even those on snowshoes. I ventured out this afternoon and soon appreciated what it must be like for deer as every laborious step broke through the icy crust, and every foot-lift brought up a chunk of the frozen surface. I did get so far as to check out the otter's wintering area. Fresh tracks have packed down the entrance to its hole in the bank of the pond and the short path to the open water. A trough in the snow revealed where it moved between another nearby pond and this one probably just before the sleet started on Monday morning.