The Arborist

Working up Mount Washington on Canada Jays this spring, I had the pleasure of encountering several animals not commonly seen by the public. This Pacific Marten was witnessed climbing from tree to tree, up and back down with the ease of a skilled gymnast. We kept our distance and watched the animal, once it saw us it let out a couple of short snarls before heading down an adjacent tree and disappearing in the snow. Rarely seen their footprints were a common sight in the meadows of the park. Mustelids like this one are known for their spunk and usually end up taking down large prey in proportion to their own small size.