Category Archives: Wildlife

Solstice Wolves

Posted on December 20, 2014 by westerner54

I’m standing on a hilltop in Yellowstone on a cold and bright December morning.    The snow beneath me is covered with hundreds of wolf tracks.    They must have been through here early this morning – the tracks are clearly fresh, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , | 38 Comments

Rocky Mountain Wildlife 2014: from Weird to Wonderful

Posted on December 11, 2014 by westerner54

Let’s start with the weird. A baby Great Horned Owl should be cute, right?  But this guy…just plain scary. Owls are often walking the line between cute and horrifying.  Not sure which side these two fall on:   Muskrats could be … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Hiking, Humor, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

Grand Gulch Below the Narrows: Where to find the Perfect Campsite

Posted on November 17, 2014 by westerner54

This looks like a pretty good fall campsite, don’t you think?   Lots of afternoon sun , reflected warmth from the canyon walls during the night, nice clear water in pot holes fifty feet away, and even a cute little … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking, Nature, Southwest hikes, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Beware the Steaming Bear

Posted on October 29, 2014 by westerner54

It’s not unusual to come upon plumes of steam coming from the ground when you’re hiking in Yellowstone.    You just walk around the vent, and keep on your way. Sometimes though, the steam in front of you is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Sometimes They Sneak Up on You…

Posted on October 5, 2014 by westerner54

It’s cold at 9,500 feet on a late September morning in the Gravelly Mountains – I’m glad for my down coat and warm coffee.    We’re sitting on a little ridge overlooking the pond we camped near last night, waiting … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , | 22 Comments

Moose, Mosquitoes and Bear Grass: Three Days in the Pintlers

Posted on August 3, 2014 by westerner54

“Whoa…what’s that?” Margaret stops dead, pointing into the trees.    I don’t stop in time and smack into her backpack.  I look where she’s pointing in the woods off to the right of us but don’t see anything. “What?  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

Good Grebe!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by westerner54

I’ve been watching a pair of Red-necked Grebes on a local lake since early this spring.   They mated and built a nest in May, but the nest must have failed, because no little grebes ever showed up.  They hung … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Exploring Rainy Lake

Posted on July 17, 2014 by westerner54

We have a new toy, and I’m just loving it.  The cool thing about our new kayak is that it’s inflatable, which means we can fold it up and put in the camper.  And it’s a cinch to blow up.  Check … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

It’s Windy on Top of the World

Posted on July 11, 2014 by westerner54

It was 89 degrees and dead calm in the Skalkoho Creek valley when we left.  Now the wind is howling, and I’ve put on an extra shirt and the fleece jacket that I just threw in at the last moment, thinking … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking, Montana, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Hidden in Plain Sight

Posted on June 23, 2014 by westerner54

We’ve been hiking down Bear Trap Canyon for a couple of hours now, and I’m more than ready for lunch.  I stop by a big log, turn to Bill and suggest that this would be a good stopping place. “Well, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , | 32 Comments