Onwards and Upwards on McClain Creek

The views from today's McClain Creek hike

Jeff and I went for a terrific spring hike along the McClain Creek road leading to the Mormon Ridge trailhead, which eventually leads to the apex of Lolo Peak. The weather was unbelievably pleasant with temperatures in the high 50s when we started. It was so warm that I spied the first blue of the […]

Lochsa – Rough Waters – Shooting Day 1

Lochsa - Rough Waters - Shooting Day 1

The start of the Mountains. Rivers. Beer. Project, we travelled to the mighty Lochsa River in Idaho to video Jason Shreder of Zoo Town Surfers surfing on Pipeline. The Mountains. Rivers. Beer. Project seeks to combine our love of the outdoors and our love of fermented grains. This result of the project will be 5 […]

Spring Sprung on the Fire Ecology Loop Trail

Sagebrush Buttercup - First Flower of 2015

What is glorious day! Temperatures crept near 60 degrees and sun spread its warmth. Time to make the legs burn with 2015’s first “real” hike. I decided that the Fire Ecology Loop Trail in the Bass Creek/Larry Creek Area would be the perfect selection. The hike itself is relatively easy as it loops through a […]

Northern Saw-whet Owl along the Bitterroot

Northern Saw-whet Owl

“There’s an owl!”, Vida exclaimed. Following her pointed finger to a small clump in a ponderosa pine thicket, a small Northern Saw-whet Owl sat motionless. I had been hearing a dervish of scolding Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches, apparently they had even found the owl previously.

Beaver teaching Impermanence

During the course of my daily walks along the Bitterroot River, I have become accustomed, or better said comfortable, with the placement of every tree and stone. There is a sense of permanence from them, and now a beaver has gnawed away at this view. Every night for the past several weeks, it comes to the […]

Woods Gulch to the Ridge

Woods Gulch, home to the Flammulated Owl, is one of my favorite short hikes in the Rattlesnake area. The hike itself is awesome as it blasts straight up the gulch, along a small creek, until you reach a ridge that is the haunt of hte small, dark-eyed owls. Today, we were not looking for owls, […]

South Fork of Lolo Creek

The Obligatory Trail Sign

Vida, Olivia, and myself went for a quick evening hike along the South Fork of Lolo Creek. The waters were raging as the intense spring run-off continues to build. The star of the hike was a small female rubber boa that was just lying on the trail (made me jump a few feet when I […]

Weir Hot Springs and a Wonderful Day

The intense sun is warming the landscape and the snow is receding up the mountainsides. It is that odd time of year when you can’t really hike up too far, but you really want outside in that sunshine. The solution take a relaxing drive over to the Lochsa and hike to Weir Hot Springs. The […]

Beautiful Day for Jerry Johnson Hot Springs

A beautiful day demanded a hike, but most of the area hikes are gumbo-like mixture of slush, mud, and ice. So what to do? Take the short hike into Jerry Johnson Hot Springs in Idaho near the Lochsa River. The hike is a little less than a mile and half, and it is incredibly easy. […]

Horned Grebe at Lee Metcalf NWR

Found this lone winter-plumaged Horned Grebe at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon. A sure sign of spring is the arrival of migrants, and this birds coupled with a pair of Tundra Swans heralds the turning of the seasons.

Winter’s last gasp

This past weekend, my pal Jorge and I took a winter’s walk along the Bitterroot River at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. The light snow continued to fall and accumulate. The powder was already knee deep and the air had frigid edges to it, but there were cracks in winter’s facade. Red-winged Blackbirds sang […]

The Newly Discovered Cedar Sculpin

Cedar Sculpin

Late summer sun filtered through the thick and lofty boughs of the western red cedars that hung over this small stream. Pools occasionally formed in the downstream sides of the buttress roots. Searching for the Idaho Giant Salamander, many of the pools were without the amphibian, but many contained small, dark ancient-looking fish. I assumed […]

Mindful Big Year Prologue: 60 on the Christmas Bird Count

“Virginia Rail!”, Tom shouted. Rushing over, we catch a glimpse of the dark rail as it slipped through the dead blades of grass and cattails. The thin air bristled at the pig-like grunt call of this secretive species. This rail had taken us all-day to find, and it was our 60th species on our portion […]