Author Archives: westerner54

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About westerner54

Hello. I'm Cindy, and I love to hike, bike and explore the outdoors - particularly the western U.S.

Winter in Yellowstone: Hanging with the Coyotes

Posted on February 12, 2013 by westerner54

The end of the day on the Blacktail Plateau in Yellowstone, February 8, 2013. A lone coyote makes his way across a hillside in the late afternoon sun. He’s looking at his shadow, trying to figure out how it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , | 27 Comments

If those Danged Birds would Just Stand Still….

Posted on February 7, 2013 by westerner54

I’ve been inspired by the amazing nature/photography blogs that I follow to take a stab at improving my own wildlife photography.   Not intending to become the next David Attenborough — yep, I’ve been watching Nature on PBS — but there’s certainly … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 31 Comments

Small Pleasures

Posted on January 31, 2013 by westerner54

I am slowly figuring out that the way to enjoy winter is to take pleasure in the small things: a good cup of tea or hot chocolate on a cold afternoon, watching the same Downy Woodpecker at the suet feeder … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Life, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Posted on January 28, 2013 by westerner54

Originally posted on The History Trail:
Update, January, 2013:  Earlier this month the new owner of the Borntrager homestead burned the old house down.   It was not in good shape, so the decision is understandable, but it’s sad.  The house…

Posted in Hiking | Leave a comment

Winter in Glacier: Skiing to the Sun

Posted on January 22, 2013 by westerner54

The area of Glacier National Park that runs along the North Fork of the Flathead is stunningly beautiful country any time of year, but the stark cold and short days of winter lend a wild edge that isn’t always there in the summer.    The road … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , | 30 Comments

Skiing at Zero Cold Thirty

Posted on January 12, 2013 by westerner54

Saturday, January 12, 2013.    Really cold.   Like 400 degrees below zero.  Fahrenheit.  Dang. I forgot to put on sunscreen. When the steam from the cement plant is doing this, you know it’s a pretty serious inversion.  But we’d decided to … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Owl Creek Cabin in the Flathead: Maybe Winter’s OK After All

Posted on January 7, 2013 by westerner54

Feeling like you want to rough it, but just a little?  Not up to hauling everything on your back and skiing miles to get to a cold cabin in the woods?   Want to cook on an electric stove and plug in … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Writing That Feels Like Home

Posted on January 2, 2013 by westerner54

In The Anthropology of Turquoise,  Ellen Meloy writes “Of all the things I wondered about on this land, I wondered the hardest about the seduction of certain geographies that feel like home–not by story or blood but merely by their forms … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Montana, Nature, Writers | Tagged , | 28 Comments

Snow and Solitude: A Yellowstone Solstice

Posted on December 24, 2012 by westerner54

Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone National Park,  December 21, 2012, 4:43 p.m.  The shortest day of the year has just ended, and the long night is beginning. We are the only campers in Mammoth Campground on this calm and silent winter solstice.    … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

Looking Back: The Best Outdoor Moments from 2012

Posted on December 20, 2012 by westerner54

You know those perfect moments when it feels like time is standing still?  When you are totally immersed in your surroundings and nothing exists but the sounds and smells and sights of the “right now”?    For me, capturing that moment … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Life, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments