There was the tiniest dusting of snow late last night—not enough, I discovered at daybreak, to ski on, but the roughly half-inch of powder promised perfect conditions for animal tracking. Most mammals, of course, are all but invisible, and the majority only come out at night. But snow offers a blank page on which mammals can write their nocturnal stories, and if you've learned how to interpret tracks, you can read about the comings and goings of the local fur-bearers. So, right after breakfast, well-worn copy of the Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks in hand, I headed out into the chilly backwoods. Surprisingly, the story in the snow was one of absence, not activity. Aside from a few Gray Squirrels, my woods had been quiet overnight—and largely trackless. The main attraction was snow sparkles and snow stars, all devoid of footprints. While I didn't observe what I'd come for, these were just fine.