Grouse Thicket there and back again

for @Phox

He'd left the marked claim behind when he grew hungry. Asa still did not feel the need to leave the hinterlands, although he knew deep down that it was a requirement of his progress. Maybe he could find what he was hunting for here and maybe not - it took time to investigate, and if he was going to be successful in his quest he had to have some faith. He back-tracked to the thicket and loitered there for a few hours, perusing the trees and scouring the snow patches for any sign of food. There were birds here, he eventually concluded, but they must have transitioned to their winter coats (or whatever, plumage?) because he could find no trace of the land's namesake.

As he progressed through the area he came upon some older trees stuck at odd angles. They creaked overhead where they were supported by their neighbors; Asa paused beneath them and looked skyward as a particularly heavy gust of wind tugged at them, causing a sharp groan to emanate through the treetops. A flurry of snow scattered off of them as they came back to a resting position, and he ducked away from it just shy of being pelted on the nose. With a snort he carried on - creating a wide path through the piling snow with his heavy-set body.