Category Archives: Camping

Spring in Yellowstone: Critters and Empty Roads

Posted on April 2, 2012 by westerner54

A handsome black wolf stopping by to check out the campsite is a pretty auspicious start to a weekend in Yellowstone, don’t you think? We arrived at the Mammoth Campground in Yellowstone at about 6:00 on Friday evening.  We set … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Montana’s Gravelly Range: Camping in the Sky

Posted on March 24, 2012 by westerner54

The Gravelly Mountains of southwestern Montana are certainly not a roadless area, and plenty of ranchers run cows and sheep on them during the summer.   But they’re one of our favorite car-camping destinations, especially in late July when the wide meadows … Continue reading →

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Into Grizzly Country: Half Moon Park in the Scapegoat Wilderness

Posted on March 21, 2012 by westerner54

I’m afraid of grizzly bears.  Especially at night.   In a tent.  In the wilderness. And, as I’ve mentioned earlier, this fear has kept me from backpacking in Yellowstone or Glacier National Parks.     It’s frustrating, though — Montana is full of gorgeous … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

The Crazies

Posted on February 29, 2012 by westerner54

Hiking Montana, by Bill and Russ Schneider, rates the climbs in their book on a scale that starts at Category 5 and ends with Category H.   Category 5 hills are defined as “a slight upgrade, while Category H hills are ones “that make … Continue reading →

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Sahara Spring: Southern Tunisia

Posted on February 16, 2012 by westerner54

It’s a 7 hour drive from Tunis to Tozeur, Tunisia.    And if you take a bus, and not the shared vans called louages in Tunisia, the trip is actually quite pleasant.   Tozeur is an ancient town in southern Tunisia, and was really … Continue reading →

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Garnet, Montana: Ghost Encounters of the Old Kind

Posted on February 7, 2012 by westerner54

January, 2010.   Trudging up the steep and icy Forest Service road that leads to the ghost town of Garnet.   Cold feet, cold hands, runny nose.  Beautiful scenery, but still…cold feet, cold hands, runny nose.    To distract myself,  I think about Emily Thomas, who … Continue reading →

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Grand Gulch, Cedar Mesa, Utah

Posted on February 1, 2012 by westerner54

February.  Time to plan some desert hikes, because right now the trails from my back door are looking a little dicey.  (Dicey: a combination of dumb and icy?) Grand Gulch Primitive Area, in southeastern Utah, is an ideal spring destination.  Sunny, warm days, water … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Southwest hikes, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Yellowstone in Winter: Let Sleeping Grizzlies Lie

Posted on January 24, 2012 by westerner54

I’ve never come upon a grizzly bear while hiking in the backcountry, and that’s just fine with me.    I’ve backpacked  a time or two in grizzly country, but never in Yellowstone or Glacier.  I just know that I’d be wide-eyed … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Photography, Travel, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , , , | 135 Comments

Looking for the Procession Panel: Treasure Hunt in Canyon Country

Posted on January 9, 2012 by westerner54

I’m sure you can go on-line and find some pretty precise directions to the Anasazi petroglyphs called the Procession Panel, but we’re part of the group of stubborn hikers who like to pretend that we’ve found these cool ancient sites all on … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Southwest hikes, Travel | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Ranger Cabin + Caviar + Cosmopolitans = the perfect winter solstice

Posted on December 24, 2011 by westerner54

One of the charms of Montana is that we can live in town, but decide on the spur of the moment to rent a ranger station for the night, pack up, and be at the trailhead in a couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Food, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments