WINTER RECONNAISSANCE IN THE ROCKY MOUN- 

 TAINS. 



By George Z. Mason. 



Reconnaissance in the wintertime is not thought, by many, to 

 be a practicable undertaking for the reason that the many hard- 

 ships and difficulties encountered are not compensated by the 

 results obtained. However, it has been tried by the regular force 

 on the Battlement National Forest for the past several years, and 

 the results have been sufficiently gratifying to make winter re- 

 connaissance one of the regular orders of business on the calendar 

 of the year's work. 



At first, winter reconnaissance on this Forest was tried, as an 

 experiment, at one of the regular annual ranger meetings held 

 several years ago. Very few of the rangers had had little, if any, 

 experience in estimating timber and several days of the meeting 

 were spent in estimating several sections of timber. The com- 

 parative ease with which this estimating was done, and the slight 

 increase in cost, encouraged an effort to make a regular recon- 

 naissance the following winter. Each year since, the work has 

 taught us something new, and given us better ideas how to meet 

 and overcome the peculiar difficulties of winter reconnaissance. 

 Some of the results of this experience may possibly be of assist- 

 ance to others who are minded to try it. 



Careful preliminary preparation and planning are necessary in 

 all lines of Forest Service work, but they are particularly import- 

 ant in winter reconnaissance. The w^ork, under proper super- 

 vision, may be done for one-half or even one-third of what it 

 would cost, both in energy and money, under careless super- 

 vision. 



The time the work is undertaken is a very important factor. 

 It should not commence before the snow has been well settled 

 and formed a good crust. The surface thus formed is ideal for 

 reconnaissance — smooth and hard, with no down timber or other 

 obstructions usually met with in summer reconnaissance. Great 

 speed can also be made undei; these conditions. 



Reconnaissance should not be attempted with a camp more 

 than three to four miles aw^ay from the field of operations since 



