Posted in Animals, Cherry Peak roadless area, Coeur d'Alene Mountains, Environment, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Photos, Pictures, tagged Cherry Peak roadless area, Coeur d'Alene Mountains, Penrose Peak on July 12, 2008 | 14 Comments »
The last section of trail 385 to the top of the peak is about a mile and a half long. It starts at 5,700 feet, reaches 7,073 feet at the top, and gets there rather aggressively. In the next photo, Penrose is the peak to the left and the trail roughly follows the crest of [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in Cherry Peak roadless area, Coeur d'Alene Mountains, Environment, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Photos, Pictures, tagged Cherry Peak roadless area, Coeur d'Alene Mountains, Penrose Peak on July 10, 2008 | 14 Comments »
From the saddle where I spent a cool but comfortable night under an ink-black sky chock full of pure white stars which are ever so much brighter in the high country, there are two routes that may be taken to get to Penrose, and they converge about a mile and a half before the final [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in Cabinet Mountains, Environment, Flowers, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Photos, Pictures, Teepee-Spring Creek roadless area, Wildflowers, tagged (Clematis occidentalis), (Mitella stauropetala), (Thalictrum occidentale), Blue Clematis, Blue violet, Calypso orchid, Indian paintbrush, Lupines, Piper flowers, Red trillium, Smallflower mitrewort, Western blue virginsbower, Western meadow-rue, Wild currants on June 10, 2008 | 28 Comments »
***Note: I’ll likely be off the air for a time while I convert my stuff over to a new iMac, which also involves trying to forget over 20 years of the Microsoft way of operating. Please don’t think I’m ignoring anyone…. pray for me!***
I have posted photos of a few of the flowers that are [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in Coeur d'Alene Mountains, Environment, Flowers, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Photos, Pictures, Wildflowers, tagged Calypso bulbosa, Calypso orchid, Fairslipper on May 21, 2008 | 18 Comments »
It has only been a few years since I first saw one of these, but now spring just wouldn’t be the same for me without them.
The Calypso orchid or Fairyslipper (Calypso bulbosa).
To be able to grow at all, Calypso orchids need a particular mycorrhizal fungus in the soil to provide sugars and minerals necessary for [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in Elk, Environment, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Photos, Pictures, Wildflowers, tagged Buttercups, Elk on April 1, 2008 | 19 Comments »
During a short trip into one of my favorite areas just a couple of days ago I had an experience that would be a thrill for anyone who loves wildlife.
A couple of miles from the road as I approached a high ridge, slightly to my right I saw four white-tail deer. As I watched them, [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in Environment, Lichens, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Photos, Pictures, tagged Burgess Lake, Lichens, western Montana on March 9, 2008 | 28 Comments »
The trail up to and the terrain immediately surrounding Burgess Lake is composed almost completely of rocks, and I was very much struck by the variety and beautiful colors of the lichens that cover literally all of them. My knowledge of lichens is sadly deficient, but I know that there are folks like my friend [...]
Read Full Post »
It seems that I have a compulsion to photograph trains. My rationale for this is that they are actually a very fuel efficient means of freight transport relative to other methods and deserve more attention for that reason. My wife however, says it’s because they are easier to track than wildlife. (Sorry, I just had [...]
Read Full Post »
In this morning’s Billings Gazette was an article about Montana’s main supplier of electrical power, and here is an excerpt from it:
“NorthWestern Energy intends to double its wind power capacity over the next seven years but foresees no new coal plant construction due to uncertainty over global warming, according to documents released by the company [...]
Read Full Post »
The issue was whether to permit 540 snowmobiles per day into Yellowstone or limit winter access to guided snow coaches.
PARK SERVICE TO ALLOW 504 SNOWMOBILES PER DAY IN YELLOWSTONE
“Snowmobile opponents wanted to see the machines eliminated from the park, saying they cause air and noise pollution, while snowmobile supporters want more, arguing many local businesses [...]
Read Full Post »
“it’s important I have written proof that Montanans don’t want members from New York and Connecticut dictating our land-use policy” (this is taken from a press release by Denny Rehberg, Montana’s sole member of the House of representatives, concerning his opposition to the Wilderness Bill, H.R. 1975. In the opening sentence of that release, he [...]
Read Full Post »
