Category Archives: Outdoors

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 pugnacious Pyrrhuloxia and a fancy Flycatcher

Posted on March 17, 2012 by westerner54

A couple of dandy Southeastern Arizona birds that never make it to Montana.   Love the birdbook description of the Pyrrhuloxia’s “pugnacious beak”, and the Vermilion Flycatcher is just all around dashing.   The flycatcher was at the Slaughter Ranch near Douglas, … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Southwest hikes, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 3 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 →

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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 →

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

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

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