Category Archives: Adventure

Rethinking Nature: the Value of Wild Places

Posted on October 13, 2012 by westerner54

What makes you feel alive and happy?    Until two weeks ago, I thought the answer – for me – was pretty simple:  being out in nature.     Surprisingly, I didn’t necessarily consider “wildness” a huge plus; it seemed to me that … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Watching Wildlife in Yellowstone: the Best Places to Hang Out

Posted on September 25, 2012 by westerner54

Conventional Yellowstone Wisdom has it that the best way to find wildlife is to look for a gaggle of folks along the road with really good spotting scopes and long lenses on their cameras.  And it’s true; you will certainly … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Johnny Gulch in the Elkhorn Mountains

Posted on September 4, 2012 by westerner54

Even a small mountain range like the Elkhorns in western Montana is chock full of wonderful backroads that are just begging to be explored.     Recently we loaded up the camper and headed out to see what we could find.  Can’t get … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Montana, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Monument Peak Lookout

Posted on August 29, 2012 by westerner54

There’s something magical about coming up on “your” lookout on the top of a mountain.    Sometimes you can see the lookout in the distance as you’re hiking, and it slowly, slowly, gets closer. But other times, particularly if you can drive to … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Montana, Travel | Tagged , , | 27 Comments

Which is Scarier: A Rattlesnake or a Grizzly Bear?

Posted on August 23, 2012 by westerner54

Imagine this:  You’re hiking on the third day of a six day backpacking trip, deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, when you “run into”* a) a rattlesnake… or….. b) a grizzly bear. *what exactly does “run into” mean?  that’s up … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Life, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

Bluegrass, the Blackfoot, and the Crimson Bluffs

Posted on August 3, 2012 by westerner54

Lots of music in Montana in July, and we managed to catch our share of it:  Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Abigail Washburn, Corb Lund, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ben Bullington, Billy … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Essaouira. Sardines. Want Some.

Posted on June 15, 2012 by westerner54

I’ve been a little distracted lately by a hankering for the sardines we had in Essaouira, Morocco last year.     Grilled, salty, lemony, fishy goodness, they came on a big platter in an outdoor restaurant on a sunny, gorgeous day.  You know they just came off … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Africa, Food, Morocco, Travel | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Mountain Biking Heaven

Posted on June 13, 2012 by westerner54

Western Montana is mountain biker’s heaven, and I think that Helena has some of the best singletrack trails in the state.    There are miles and miles of trails that start right from town, so if you live in the downtown area, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Baby Bison: Cute Little Buckers!

Posted on May 26, 2012 by westerner54

I spent a couple of days in Yellowstone again this week, because I knew the bison were calving, and I wanted to have a chance to watch the antics of the little orange calves before the summer crowds arrive.    I hadn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Travel, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

The Indispensables

Posted on May 21, 2012 by westerner54

Those first couple of miles of the first backpack of the season are always tough, aren’t they? Hiking without a pack never prepares me for the shock of suddenly hauling all that extra weight, and my hips and shoulders are … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments