During a recent trip to Paradise Valley, we were resting before the fireplace in the Community Building enjoying our lunch, when suddenly a marten appeared from behind the woodpile in the corner and scampered along the beams that bordered the wall. He was a beautiful specimen though not very large, and as he scampered about overhead he hesitated occasionally to peer down at us in an inquisitive manner. No doubt he was as interested in us as we were in him. Then just as quickly as he appeared, he vanished from sight in one of the numerous crannies behind the huge beam.

Pine Marten are becoming more accustomed to man at Paradise and are often seen there. They are often feed by the employees of Paradise Lodge and by District Ranger Carl Tice.

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Due no doubt to the exceedingly mild winter, deer are ranging very high in the park--in fact the greater part of our deer population has wintered within the protected area encircled by the park boundaries. Deer tracks have been noted at Christine Falls (3600 ft.), on the Yakima Park Highway about 400 feet, and many similar places of equal elevation. This is quite unusual for this time of year as ordinarily excessively deep snow prevents ready access to those areas as far as the deer are concerned.

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Miss Trixie Hall, telephone operator at Longmire, was surprised one morning as she was driving to work to see an animal shuffling across the road. She stopped the car and took a second look, and sure enough it was a beaver.