Sometimes you cannot deny a quest. A quest can overtake you and become a fixation that can be satisfied only when the quest is completed. My recent quest was to see a snowshoe hare, which is uncommon in our area. I especially wanted to see one within easy driving distance. A recent article in Backpacker magazine indicated there were snowshoe hares to see in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. The article gave detailed directions on where to see these elusive bunnies.

The snowshoe hare looks like a rabbit, but it has longer ears, large hind feet, and longer legs made for jumping. It is also slightly bigger than the more common Eastern cottontail rabbit. The snowshoe got its name from its long back feet, which look like snowshoes and help the hare move on deep snow.

The snowshoe hare changes its coat two times a year. In winter it adopts a white coat to blend in with its snowy surroundings. In summer, its coat is rusty brown with black on top of the tail and ear tips and grayish-white on its underside. This coloration blends in well with the leaves and twigs in summer months. The snowshoe likes coniferous forests with dense underbrush. It also generally frequents higher elevations. Its main predators include lynx, bobcat, fox, coyote, and some raptors.

My instinct for adventure took over and I followed the article’s route to the Hidden Valley area of the George Washington National Forest near Warm Springs, Va. The terrain is beautiful there. Wide open valleys are ringed with mountain ridges. I began my hike at the Lost Woman trailhead and followed the Jackson River to the Hidden Valley Trail. The Jackson is a small river flowing fresh and clear this cold winter morning. Signs posted along the river indicated that the waters were stocked with trout. I spooked a Great Blue Heron that was possibly fishing for some of these trout.

Further along the trail I jumped three deer that were taking cover in some brush that seemed to be perfect habitat for the snowshoe hare. Chickadees sang from the trees. I spotted a pile of scat that looked like it contained rabbit remains. I imagined that there was a bobcat waiting for me to kick out a snowshoe hare for his breakfast. These conditions, along with the cold emptiness of the area, made me hopeful that I would realize my quest today. My senses were heightened as I expected to see one of the shy hares around the next turn in the trail. But after a few more hours of hiking, I came to doubt I would see any hares.

After my initial attempt failed, I stopped in to speak with the rangers at the Warm Springs Ranger District to find out what I was doing wrong. After a couple of follow-up conversations, I found out that there had been reports of snowshoes in Highland County, Va., but no sightings nearby. I discovered from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries that there are some snowshoe hares in the George Washington National Forest, but not many.

A number of years ago, the Department of Game tried to enhance the natural population by trapping snowshoes in West Virginia and moving them down to Virginia. The move didn’t go well for the hares; they were mostly eaten by bobcats and other predators. The biologist that I talked to from the Department of Game suggested that I try the Snowshoe Ski area in West Virginia. There is a much larger population there, and sightings are more common.

Even though my quest to see the secretive snowshoe hare ended without a sighting this time, I am not deterred. My quest will continue and I plan to make a future trip to the Snowshoe Mountain area to try and spot the hare. I was intrigued with something else that the game official said during our conversation. He mentioned that the Eastern cougar is found in some of the same habitat that the snowshoe hare inhabits. They are even more elusive than the hare. I’ve never seen a mountain lion either. This sounds like an excellent reason to take another trip. I am not sure if this will become a separate quest or whether I will combine quests. I need to start planning my next adventure.