Category Archives: Hiking

“U R Brave”

Posted on May 2, 2012 by westerner54

Last year I posted on YouTube a video of some Yellowstone wolves crossing the road in front of me.   One of the first comments was just one line:  “U R brave.”    I didn’t think it was brave, but it looked … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Life, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Travel, Yellowstone | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Out My Back Door and Up the Mountain

Posted on April 17, 2012 by westerner54

My favorite part about living right in town is that I can pretend that urban sprawl has skipped Helena, Montana.  It hasn’t, but the old downtown part of Helena butts right up against hills and mountains that are protected from development.  The city stops and open space … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Close to Home: the Missouri

Posted on April 9, 2012 by westerner54

Sometimes I need a reminder to stop and see the wonders of my own neighborhood, and I appreciate bloggers who — Thoreau-like — keep their focus small and remind me to do the same.  Two of my favorites are  Some Little Crum Creek and  Walks Under the Trees.  They … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

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 →

Posted in Camping, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

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 →

Posted in Adventure, Camping, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Three Seasons of Glacier

Posted on February 23, 2012 by westerner54

Fall: Kintla Lake Winter: MacDonald Creek Summer: Highline Trail, Many  Glacier, St. Mary

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Ghost Signs, Ghost Town, and a Snowshoe to a Sad Cemetery

Posted on February 20, 2012 by westerner54

Today we headed for the ghost town of Elkhorn so that we could snowshoe to the  old Elkhorn cemetery, which is on a hilltop about a mile outside of town.  The nearest town to Elkhorn is Boulder, Montana, a little town … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Posted on February 16, 2012 by westerner54

Originally posted on View from the Lookout:
View from Suntop Lookout A few weeks ago, I wrote about the first time my youngest daughter spent a night at a fire lookout. With fall, approaching it was time for the second…

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