On a hunt today, as I hiked along the Murr Creek trail and looked at the creek splashing and cascading through its canyon far below and wished it were easier to get down there (and that I had lashed my tripod to my pack), I remembered that I hadn’t posted this photo taken a couple weeks ago on Spring Creek, 50 miles away, but still in the Cabinet Mountains. It will have to do for now until the weather clears. (I’ll probably hunt in snow tomorrow.)

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These photos were taken on an elk scouting hike today on the ridge between Weeksville Creek and Buffalo Bill Creek in the Cabinet mountains. It was a fairly stiff hike up from the valley on a brush-covered game trail, but the scenery made it worth it and it’s excellent elk habitat up there.

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Returning from an elk hunt during which we saw no elk, we saw three Bighorn rams not far off the road and they were kind enough to let me get some photos of them.

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Spring Creek in western Montana’s Cabinet Mountains.

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It took over a year for us to tie this three-note greeting to it’s maker, and we’ve loved this little bird every since. The Chickadees bring cheer and optimism to us winter and summer and we hope the seeds that we keep always available help make their lives more cheerful too.

Yesterday at Spring Creek it was wet walking through tall grass in a light rain mixed with snow. Since today was partly clear, I looked forward to a dry hike but on the old TeePee Creek trail yesterday’s snow was rapidly melting and the grasses were even wetter than yesterday’s. This trail has been decommissioned for several years and the trail is mostly gone now but the old corridor still remains. The woods are pleasant to walk through even though the tall, wet grass isn’t.

The water drops from melted snow on the cedars made the leaves quite pretty and prompted me to try this 5 foot shot with a 300mm lens.

Well, it almost worked. Can you smell it?

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This is the time of year when the winter mosses put on their bright green clothes and play by the water. These are beneath the tall cedars in the Spring Creek canyon.

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Years ago (who knows how many?) someone threw a pear core out beside the road and from its seeds a small tree has grown there, attended only by nature and her seasons. I pass that place often and the other day as I passed, the gold of its autumn leaves seemed especially attractive.

I remembered then how much I liked its spring dress in April too and found in my archives a photo I had taken then.

The little tree has had a good year and has quietly brought a little more beauty to the world.

The lake was pretty today.

Western Larch in Buffalo Bill Canyon

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