Late summer

“And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.”

Clematis

Clematis

Fireweed

European Mountain Ash

Kinnikinnik

Bear

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

(Photographed along the Koo Koo Sint trail.)

Koo Koo Sint 2

A perspective.

Eddy Mountain photographed from Koo Koo Sint Ridge

There is a lonely lookout tower (one of the few remaining towers that are still in use) on the top of Eddy Mountain. At 6957 feet in elevation it sits 4557 feet above the Clark Fork River (at the bottom of the photo); nearly a mile above it. (If you view the large size version of this photo, you can get an idea of what the lookout itself looks like.)

The Eddy Mountain Lookout

If the Sears Tower had been built at the river level, and another built on top of it, and still another built on top of that, and if you stood on the very top of all three, you would be almost at eye level with the lookout.

Fireweed 2

I can’t let summer pass without featuring Fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium. It’s a beautiful and prolific flower and because it is one of the first plants to start the regeneration of the natural surroundings after a forest fire, it always signifies to me the hope for and the expectation of something better and more beautiful to come.

With the exception of the last photo, which was taken along trail 345 to Bighole Peak, these photos were taken near the start of the trail into the Reservation Divide roadless area.

7395 August 2008 Fireweed closeup

Close call

On the crash report form, following the words, “Fatality Involved”, the responding Highway Patrol Officer checked the box, “No”.

Peripheral vision to the right side showed a flash of a small, silver car proceeding directly into my path at a ninety degree angle: at 55 MPH there’s not a lot of time to make a decision. Two events must not be allowed to happen; strike the car directly in the driver’s door, or cross the center line into oncoming traffic.

Because I was in the right lane, there was a slight window of opportunity; a very sharp veer to the left to avoid direct impact followed immediately by a veer back to the right to keep from crossing the center line. It worked.

There was an impact causing a sudden spin to the right and a hundred-foot slide sideways down the highway, then backwards, then to a stop. Upright. No injuries in either vehicle.

Some would call this sort of thing bad luck. I called it a little bad luck with a whole big bunch of good luck! I’ll take that kind any day!

Dare to be different

Along the early part of the Koo Koo Sint trail.

Flower gardens of fall

Growing along the upper slopes of Spring Creek canyon near its source just below Bighole Peak, planted and tended only by Mother Nature.