What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Winter Wonder

Atop Cannon Mountain (elev. 4,081 feet) in Franconia, New Hampshire, we spotted feathery white formations growing sideways from trees and the railings of an observation tower at the summit. What is this?

Answer

This is rime ice, formed “when suspended super cooled water particles (think fog) come in contact with something and instantly freeze to it,” according to Hayden Pearson, a research specialist and weather observer at the Mount Washington Observatory. Rime ice tends to grow on the windward side of objects, so it appears to be growing into the wind, as was the case with the rime ice in this photo.

This week’s contest winner was Steven Arcone