Chopta Hill Sttion
¤ While Its Still Under Four
Feet of Snow
Distance from Delhi : 510km
Distance from Chamoli : 42km
Altitude : 1100 ft.
Chopta Holds The Ultimate Beauty of Majestic Mountains
 As
the morning sun rises at a height of eleven thousand feet, the
landscape emerges, changing colour with each passing moment. Grey
first, it slowly transforms into orange from pale yellow. It’s
time to wake up and so the bird king of the high Himalayas, Monaal,
takes a swift flight from the rocky outcrop into the valley.
While doing so, it greets its friends below with a continuos shrill
call. and friends it has plenty – Musk deer, muntjac, gorals.
Cautiously, they tread over the virgin snow, leaving behind an endless
trail of footprints.
Occasionally, they stop, lift their heads to catch a sign of the
predator- Man or tiger. and once assured they are safe, they carry on.
On another side of the mountain, a few cottages stand half immersed
in snow. Winter is about to bow out, and soon the golden warmth of the
sun will melt the snow.
Drop by drop, the water will trickle down from the green tin roofs of
the cottage housing the forest department, to form beautiful icicles.
Hidden under three feet of snow are thousands of grasses, shrubs and
cold-blooded organisms. They will return to life once nature runs a
soothing hand over them. But for now, it’s the snow that shrouds
the landscape.
Welcome to the land of Gods. Welcome to Chopta while it’s still
under four feet of snow
¤ Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
Situated in the heart of the Kedarnath
Wildlife Sanctuary, Chopta has inspired many a nature-lover
over the years. Very often it is termed as the ‘Switzerland of
the Himalayas’ and a ‘Photographer’s Paradise’.
¤ Kanchula Kharg
Kanchula Kharg is the place where the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department
breeds musk deer in captivity. Presently the nursery has six females
and four males. All the females are pregnant and the department is
expecting the fawns by end June or early July. The nursery has a total
staff of five people to look after the deer. Every morning and
evening, the musk deer are fed with lichen, which happens to be their
favourite food. We were thrilled to find ten healthy musk deer right
before our eyes, but we postponed clicking as the quality of light was
not good.
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