On April 3, Blackheart and the three cubs were still at their den but Blackheart had explored up to 100 feet away and the cubs were practicing climbing on logs adjacent to the den. The den in this case was an above-ground nest of grass and leaves partially sheltered by a pile of logs and tree tops at the edge of a recent clearcut.

On April 7, the family was about 75 feet from the den at the base of a white pine tree about two and a half feet in diameter. The nest at the base of the tree was elaborate enough that they had probably been there a couple days, making the emergence date around April 5.

On April 9, she was 845 feet further from the den at another white pine where she remained through April 12. Naturalists Al Stoops and Sue Mansfield followed her tracks in the snow. She spent most of her time resting and playing with her cubs. On forays away from her bed, she stood and bit several trees to mark them, ate dried grass in an alder swamp, drank water, and investigated a survey tape that was blowing in the breeze.

By April 14, the family had moved another 2500 feet to the base of another white pine tree. The cubs are growing noticeably, very active, and following mother at times as she forages near the bed. Mother was eating more dried grass (probably Calamagrostis canadensis) in a black ash swamp near the bed and tore apart a birch log to get grubs.

She stopped at another white pine to nurse the cubs and then returned to the original bed where they remained through the next day. April 15 was a sunny day with no leaves for shade and near-record temperatures (72 degrees). The last of the snow was melting. On that day, she found a pool in the ash swamp and sat surrounded by floating ice, dipping her paw in the pool and wiping it across her forehead.

On April 17, she and the cubs continued to move, and we intercepted them in an aspen stand where she tore apart logs for grubs and turned over leaves for snow fleas.